Rick Santorum Endorses Chris McDaniel In Mississippi Senate Primary | HuffPost

Rick Santorum Endorses Chris McDaniel In Mississippi Senate Primary

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NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 18: Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) attends 'The Christmas Candle' screening at Tribeca Grand Hotel on November 18, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

Former 2012 presidential hopeful and Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R) waded into the Mississippi Senate GOP primary on Thursday by endorsing tea partier Chris McDaniel, who is looking to unseat Sen. Thad Cochran.

Santorum called McDaniel, a lawyer by training and radio show host until 2008, "a proven conservative who will be guided by the U.S. Constitution" and said he's confident McDaniel "will champion policies in the U.S. Senate that can provide economic opportunity and upward mobility for hard working families in Mississippi."

"He has been a fighter for our 2nd Amendment rights, the right to life, a fiscally responsible government and stopping Obamacare," Santorum added in a statement on his Patriot Voices PAC website. "He has been a staunchly conservative leader in Mississippi, and I am confident he will bring that dedicated spirit to the U.S. Senate."

Former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin endorsed McDaniel back in March.

Cochran has served in Congress since first being elected to the House in 1972 and then the Senate in 1978. McDaniel, a Mississippi state senator, announced in October he would try to oust the Senate veteran from his perch. But McDaniels has, in recent months, drawn scrutiny over a number of incidents.

In April, the Wall Street Journal reported on a leaked radio broadcast from over seven years ago in which McDaniel made questionable comments about reparations and Mexicans. Soon after, BuzzFeed posted a long list of quotes from McDaniel on his radio show regarding everything from the "homosexual agenda" to an Alabama gubernatorial candidate's breasts.

A new ad from Cochran ties McDaniel to a blogger who was caught taking photos of Cochran's wife, who suffers from dementia, in her hospital bed.

Santorum, however, hasn't been moved the other way by the scandals, and dismissed them as merely "distractions of unfortunate political theater."

The runoff between Cochran and McDaniel will take place next Tuesday.

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Before You Go

Senate 2014: The Money Race

Mitch McConnell: $8.6 Million(01 of36)

After the first quarter of fundraising for the 2014 election, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has $8.6 million cash on hand. That is more money than the senior senator from Kentucky has ever before brought into the beginning of a reelection campaign, and is up $1.3 million from his 2012 year-end, cash-on-hand total. There were rumblings on the right about a primary challenge to McConnell, but he has worked to build close relations with his Kentucky colleague, Sen. Rand Paul, an ally of the Tea Party, which defeated McConnell's handpicked candidate to replace the retiring Sen. Jim Bunning in 2010. So far, no challenger has emerged from within the GOP or from the Democrats. (credit:AP)

Lindsey Graham: $5.4 Million(02 of36)

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) had $5.4 million cash on hand at the end of the first quarter in 2013, up from $4.4 million cash on hand at the end of 2012.Graham has long popped up on lists of Republicans who could face a primary challenge from a candidate backed by conservative groups like the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks. The Club for Growth, the biggest outside player in Republican primaries, has stated that it is eyeing Graham with a "lot of interest," according to a September 2012 Politico report. Club for Growth President Chris Chocola said, "If you're looking to the horizon of 2014, the sun may rise over South Carolina." (credit:AP)

Ed Markey: $4.6 Million(03 of36)

Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) holds a big cash advantage over all challengers in the special election for the Senate seat previously held by Secretary of State John Kerry. Markey had $4.6 million cash on hand as of April 10, according to pre-primary election reports. The special primary election will occur on April 30 and the special general election will happen on June 25. Whoever wins the seat will face a reelection race in 2014. (In fact, even without Kerry's departure, the Massachusetts seat was up for election next year.)Markey entered the race by transferring more than $3 million from his House campaign account to his Senate campaign and has only increased his cash on hand total. (credit:AP)

Mark Warner: $4.2 Million(04 of36)

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is by far the most prolific fundraiser among the crop of freshman Democrats elected in 2008. His first quarter fundraising reports show that Warner had $4.2 million cash on hand at the end of March 2013 for his first reelection campaign. That is $500,000 more than he had at the end of 2012.Warner won a commanding victory in his first senatorial election, and no opposition has emerged yet to challenge him in 2014. (credit:AP)

John Cornyn: $4.2 Million(05 of36)

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) likely has little to worry about in his reelection campaign. He has $4.2 million cash on hand as of April 1, 2013, up from $2.6 million at the end of 2012. Some observers have also noted that Cornyn has been casting identical votes to those of freshman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a conservative upstart who defeated the party-backed Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in a primary election in 2012. (credit:AP)

Mary Landrieu: $3.5 Million(06 of36)

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) is a perennial top target of Republicans and will again face a tough reelection contest in 2014. She has $3.5 million cash on hand after the first three months of 2013, up from $2.5 million at the end of 2012.Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy is currently the only announced challenger to Landrieu. (credit:AP)

Mark Pryor: $3.4 Million(07 of36)

Another top target for Republicans, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) has $3.4 million cash on hand through March 31, 2013. That is double the amount Pryor had at the end of 2012. Although Pryor ran unopposed in 2008, then-Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) was defeated that year, and Arkansas has become more Republican since. Pryor is certain to face a serious challenger next year. (credit:AP)

Dick Durbin: $3.2 Million(08 of36)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is unlikely to face tough opposition for reelection. Yet the three-term senator has built up a war chest of $3.2 million through the first three months of 2013. Because Durbin is a member of the Democratic Senate leadership, a good portion of that money will likely go to help other Senate candidates. Since 2008, Durbin has given $2,385,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats to the Senate. (credit:AP)

Jeff Sessions: $2.8 Million(09 of36)

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has $2.8 million cash on hand as he enters what will likely be an easy reelection campaign in this deeply Republican state. (credit:AP)

Kay Hagan: $2.7 Million(10 of36)

Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), who was first elected in 2008, is one of the top Republican targets for 2014. Hagan doubled her cash on hand from the end of 2012 in the first three months of 2013. She currently has $2.7 million on hand, up from $1.36 million.Her 2008 campaign was boosted by President Barack Obama's carrying the state in his first presidential campaign. With North Carolina going back into the GOP column in 2012, Republicans believe that Hagan should be vulnerable next year. (credit:AP)

Mark Udall: $2.5 Million(11 of36)

Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) is yet another member of the 2008 freshman class up for his first reelection campaign. He had $2.5 million cash on hand through the first three months of the election cycle. Udall won his 2008 race handily and his state's movement toward the Democrats in both 2010 and 2012 suggests that he is unlikely to be a significant target for Republicans in 2014. (credit:AP)

Shelley Moore Capito: $2.4 Million(12 of36)

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) is running to replace the retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) in 2014. She announced her campaign in late 2012 (before Rockefeller had announced his retirement, in fact) and transferred $1.6 million into her Senate campaign from her House campaign account. She currently has $2.4 million cash on hand through the first three months of 2013. (credit:AP)

Jack Reed: $2 Million(13 of36)

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) is one of the least vulnerable senators up for reelection in 2014, but he has still built a formidable cash-on-hand total of $2 million through the first quarter of 2013. (credit:AP)

Al Franken: $2 Million(14 of36)

First elected in 2008, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has $2 million cash on hand for his second Senate campaign after the first quarter of 2013. Franken's first political race ended in the closest election of 2008; he eventually prevailed over then-Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) by a razor-thin margin after a recount that dragged into the summer of 2009. The former comedian has kept a low profile during his first term while raising a decent amount of money for his reelection. So far, no Republican candidate has announced a challenge. (credit:AP)

Lamar Alexander: $1.8 Million(15 of36)

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has $1.8 million cash on hand for his 2014 campaign after first quarter campaign reports were filed. Alexander has not faced a tough race in his previous two Senate campaigns and is not seen as a target for Democrats this time around. (credit:AP)

Cory Booker: $1.6 Million(16 of36)

Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker is running to replace retiring Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Booker is known as an excellent fundraiser and has already built a cash-on-hand total of $1.6 million through the first three months of 2013. He could face a primary challenge from Rep. Frank Pallone. (credit:AP)

Mark Begich: $1.5 Million(17 of36)

Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) defeated then-Sen. Ted Stevens in 2008, while the long-serving senator was under the cloud of a federal investigation. As any likely opponent would not be similarly tainted by scandal this time around, Begich faces a potentially difficult path to reelection in his Republican state. He has $1.5 million cash on hand as of April 1, 2013.Alaska elections are not the most expensive in the country, and the state's Senate candidates rarely raise more than $5 million for a single cycle. So far, no Republican challenger to Begich has emerged. (credit:AP)

Jeanne Shaheen: $1.45 Million(18 of36)

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), another member of the large Democratic freshman class of 2008, dramatically increased her cash on hand from the end of 2012 over the course of the first three months of 2013. Shaheen has $1.45 million cash on hand, as of April 1, 2013, compared to just $431,214 at the end of 2012. (credit:AP)

Jeff Merkley: $1.3 Million(19 of36)

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), a freshman senator who defeated an incumbent in 2008, has $1.3 million cash on hand through the first quarter of 2013. Merkley more than doubled his cash-on-hand total from the end of 2012 over the last three months. So far, no Republican opposition has emerged. (credit:AP)

Susan Collins: $1.2 Million(20 of36)

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has $1.2 million cash on hand, as of April 1, 2013, for her reelection race. The main obstacle for Collins would be a more conservative candidate in the Republican primary. A recent Public Policy Polling survey found that Maine's Republican voters would consider a "more conservative" challenger in a primary. (credit:AP)

Chris Coons: $1.2 Million(21 of36)

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) won an easy victory over Republican candidate Christine O'Donnell in the special election to replace Vice President Joe Biden in 2010. He has $1.2 million cash on hand for his reelection campaign and faces little likelihood of a serious challenger in this heavily Democratic state. (credit:AP)

Pat Roberts: $1 Million(22 of36)

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) is not likely to face a serious challenge in 2014. He has $1 million cash on hand through the first three months of 2013. (credit:AP)

Brian Schatz: $1 Million(23 of36)

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) was appointed to fill the seat of the deceased Sen. Daniel Inouye in December 2012. Since then, Schatz has raised over $1 million, which represents his cash on hand as he seeks to hold the seat. U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa has announced that she will challenge Schatz in the Democratic primary. (credit:AP)

Bruce Braley: $1 Million(24 of36)

Rep. Bruce Braley is running in Iowa to replace the retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). Braley, a four-term congressman, has $1 million cash on hand for his campaign. Most of the top Republicans in the state have passed on the Senate race, leaving him without opposition at the moment. (credit:AP)

Tom Udall: $919,256(25 of36)

None of the 2008 freshman Democratic Senate class has less cash on hand at this point in the campaign than Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.). Udall has $919,256 cash on hand after the first quarter of 2013. This is three times the amount Udall had at the end of 2012. Currently, Udall has no Republican challenger. (credit:AP)

Jim Inhofe: $748,330(26 of36)

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) represents one of the most Republican states in the nation and will likely cruise to reelection. He has $748,330 cash on hand. (credit:AP)

Thad Cochran: $631,971(27 of36)

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is routinely listed as a potential retirement, but the six-term senator continues to run. Cochran has $631,971 cash on hand for a 2014 campaign, which will likely bring little to no electoral challenge to this longtime incumbent. (credit:AP)

Stephen Lynch: $514,271(28 of36)

Rep. Stephen Lynch is running in the Democratic special primary election to fill Secretary of State John Kerry's former seat. Lynch has $514,271 cash on hand for his primary contest against Rep. Ed Markey. Markey, however, has more than $4 million cash on hand. (credit:AP)

Mike Rounds: $368,951(29 of36)

Former South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) is the only announced candidate to fill the Senate seat of retiring Democratic senator Tim Johnson. Rounds, however, has not raised big money for what is expected to be one of the marquee races in the country. As of April 1, 2013, Rounds had just $368,951 cash on hand. (credit:AP)

Jim Risch: $259,523(30 of36)

Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) has $259,523 cash on hand for a reelection race that is unlikely to see much serious competition. (credit:AP)

Paul Broun: $217,055(31 of36)

Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) is the only announced candidate to replace retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Georgia. Broun had only $217,055 cash on hand at the end of the first quarter of 2013. Other likely Republican candidates like Reps. Jack Kingston and Tom Price have significantly more resources in their House campaign accounts. (credit:AP)

Dan Winslow: $142,243(32 of36)

Dan Winslow is one of three Republican candidates in the Massachusetts special primary election. He has $142,243 cash on hand through April 10, 2013. (credit:AP)

Michael Sullivan: $96,369(33 of36)

Michael Sullivan, one of three Republican candidates in the Massachusetts special primary election, had $96,369 cash on hand as of April 10, 2013. (credit:AP)

Tim Scott: ???(34 of36)

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), recently appointed to replace the retired Sen. Jim DeMint, will have to face voters in 2014 to fill the remainder of DeMint's term in office. The April quarterly filing for Scott is not yet available. (credit:AP)

Mike Enzi: ???(35 of36)

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Idaho) had just $275,211 cash on hand for his reelection campaign at the end of 2012, but Enzi's April quarterly filing is not yet available. Enzi is unlikely to face any serious opposition in his bid for reelection. (credit:AP)

Gabriel Gomez: ???(36 of36)

Gabriel Gomez is one of three Republicans running in the Massachusetts special primary election. The pre-primary election filing for Gomez has not been made available yet. (credit:AP)

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