Senator Thad Cochran To Resign on April 1st

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 11: Clockwise from upper left, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen. Shelley Capito (R-WV), Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) pose for a National Seersucker Day group photo at the U.S. Capitol June 11, 2015 in Washington, DC. The group photo is an annual event introduced by Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott in the late 90sÕ to revive a long-forgotten tradition of wearing seersucker suit which was considered mandatory summer attire of the Senate. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Happy early April Fool’s Day!

Except, there’s no fooling around with this news. Elderly Senator Thad Cochran has announced he will be resigning on April 1st. The Mississippi senator recently turned 80 years old.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Sen. Thad Cochran, a Republican from Mississippi, says he will resign April 1.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 5, 2018

Cochran’s announcement is not surprising. His health has deteriorated in recent years, and his advanced age makes it harder for him to do his job. From CBS:

Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Mississippi, will resign April 1, CBS News confirmed. The chairman of the Appropriations Committee announced Monday that his time in the Senate will come to an end in a month for health reasons.

“I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge,” Cochran said in a statement. “I intend to fulfill my responsibilities and commitments to the people of Mississippi and the Senate through the completion of the 2018 appropriations cycle, after which I will formally retire from the U.S. Senate.”

This resignation will no doubt create a mad rush in Mississippi politics to fill his Senate seat. We’ve been reporting for months that Cochran has been mulling retirement.

Just last month, the rumor of Cochran’s impending retirement really began to pick up steam. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been quietly courting Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant to appoint himself senator in Cochran’s absence. President Trump backs the plan, but Bryant is not yet sold on it.

With Cochran’s retirement, the election year just became even more chaotic, as Mississippi’s other senator, Roger Wicker, is facing a primary challenge from the right, in the form of State Senator Chris McDaniel.

McDaniel primaried Cochran in 2014, narrowly winning more votes than Cochran in their first election, but failing to cross the 50% threshold to outright win the race. When the race was held just weeks later, Cochran emerged victorious after using the GOP’s Mississippi political machine to get out the vote among non-traditional Republican voters.

What do you think about Thad Cochran’s announcement? Is it time for him to go? Tell us your thoughts below!