In Wake Of Cantor Upset, Sean Hannity Sets His Sights On Mississippi Senate Race

Written by Olivia Marshall

Published

Sean Hannity appears to be hoping for a repeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's stunning primary defeat, using his considerable influence as a conservative talk show host to promote extreme right-wing candidate Chris McDaniel in a runoff election for the GOP's U.S. Senate ballot slot in Mississippi. 

Hannity linked McDaniel's race to that of Virginia's 7th congressional district, which ended June 10 in a surprise victory for conservative outsider Dave Brat. In Mississippi, neither Sen. Thad Cochran nor his opponent McDaniel received more than 50 percent of the vote in the state's June 3 primary, forcing a runoff on June 24.

Conservative talk radio's influence was undeniable in Brat's defeat of Cantor -- radio hosts like Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, and Glenn Beck devoted a significant amount of time to promoting Brat and took credit for his surprise win. On the June 11 edition of his radio show, Sean Hannity continued the trend, playing a full campaign ad for Chris McDaniel and hosting the candidate himself. Hannity referenced Cantor's defeat several times and praised McDaniel, who he previously endorsed, as a “solid conservative”:

HANNITY: After last night's political earthquake a lot of people saying -- remember some have been predicting the tea party is dead, even though there had been a lot of success actually this election year.

[...]

HANNITY: I have always been very, very reluctant to endorse in primaries. Very reluctant. And I decided to get into this race and support Chris McDaniel because I see him as a solid conservative. 

Hannity's effusive praise of the far-right McDaniel suggests that, once again, conservative talk radio looks to be an essential influence in a Republican primary race. McDaniel's website also boasts of an endorsement from conservative radio host Laura Ingraham and appearances on both Glenn Beck's and Mark Levin's respective radio shows. 

Cantor's defeat exemplified right-wing talk radio's vital role in dragging the GOP further to the right. Will Sean Hannity and other conservative radio hosts' involvement in Mississippi's Senate race add to the trend?