Chris McDaniel

Christopher McDaniel (born June 28, 1972) is an American attorney, conservative commentator and a Republican politician in the Mississippi Senate who has represented the 42nd District, which encompasses part of South Mississippi, since 2008.^[1][2]

McDaniel is challenging incumbent Senator Thad Cochran in the 2014 Mississippi Republican Senate primary.^[3]

Early life and education

McDaniel was born on June 28, 1972 in Laurel, Mississippi. He graduated with honors from Jones County Junior College and received his B.S. with honors from William Carey University. After graduating from William Carey in 1994, McDaniel entered the University of Mississippi School of Law, graduating cum laude in 1997 with a Juris Doctor degree.^[4] McDaniel resides with his family in Ellisville, Mississippi. He is the grandson of early country singer Luke McDaniel and distant cousin to U.S. President John F. Kennedy. McDaniel is Irish-American on his mother's side and Scottish-American on his father's side.^[4]

Legal and radio career

In 1997, McDaniel entered a two-year federal clerkship with United States District Court Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr. After leaving his position as a law clerk with Judge Pickering, McDaniel joined the law firm of Hortman Harlow Bassi Robinson & McDaniel,^[5] becoming a partner in 2003. His areas of concentration include Litigation, Insurance Defense, Corporate Law, Products Liability, Commercial Litigation, Consumer Products Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation, Complex Multi-Party Litigation, Legislation, Constitutional Law & Civil Rights. He is licensed to practice law in Mississippi and Texas.^[4][6][7]

In 2010, he was also named one of the top 50 lawyers in Mississippi by the Mississippi Business Journal.^[4][8] From 2008-2012, he has been named a Mid-South Rising Star by SuperLawyers magazine.^[9]

McDaniel is affiliated with the Gideons International, Republican National Lawyer Association,^[10] Mississippi Economic Council, Association for Excellence in Education, National Rifle Association, American Family Association, Jones County Bar Association, Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, Defense Research Institute, Mississippi Claims Association, Fifth Federal Circuit Bar Association, the Hundred Club of Jones County, Federalist Society, Mississippi Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Rotary Club and Exchange Club.^[4]

McDaniel is the former host of The Right Side Radio Show on WMXI 98.1 FM in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It became nationally syndicated in 2006 by EBN Radio Network and Golden Broadcasters. The show was broadcast nationwide on ABC Radio Networks and the industry standard Starguide III system.^[11] The show returned to local stations upon his leaving the show.^[12][13]

McDaniel has also been a guest host and/or appeared on numerous conservative talk shows. He has guest hosted shows with Mychal Massie and Ray Spero, nationally renowned conservative commentators. He has also hosted shows on the Supertalk Mississippi network.^[14]

Political career

On April 15, 2009, McDaniel spoke at Laurel, Mississippi's tax day tea party.^[15] He also spoke before the Central Mississippi tax day tea party.^[15]

On April 9, 2010, McDaniel filed a federal class action lawsuit on behalf of Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and 11 other Mississippians for declaratory and injunctive relief seeking a determination that provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) violate the United States Constitution by mandating American citizens to purchase health insurance.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21][22]} He was named 2010 Citizen of the Year by the Laurel Leader Call newspaper.^[4]

He was named a "Rising Star" in 2012 in the Republican Party.^[23][24][25]

He has been referred to as a "Libertarian Republican",^[26] and a staunch defender of liberty. However, he describes his philosophy as "conservative" or "a fusion of Judeo-Christian principles, free enterprise, limited government, fiscal responsibility, free market policies, reduced tax rates, morality in government, strong national defense, federalism and Constitutional checks and balances," while listing "Thomas Jefferson, Robert Taft, Russell Kirk, Barry Goldwater, William F. Buckley and Ronald Reagan" as influences.^[27]

In 2012, McDaniel led a delegation to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, which dedicated a monument for the eight Mississippians who died when the fort was overrun in 1836.^{[28][29][30][31][32]}

McDaniel was named 2012 "Legislator of the Year" by the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Association ^[33] and the 2013 "Legislator of the Year" by the Mississippi Highway Patrol.^[34]

McDaniel has been mentioned as a possible candidate for U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 4th Congressional District.^[35]

Mississippi Senate

McDaniel is a Republican politician who has served as a member of the Mississippi Senate since 2008.^[2] He is Vice-Chairman of Oil, Gas and Other Minerals Committee and a member of numerous other committees, including Education; Elections; Appropriations; Judiciary, Division A; Public Health and Welfare; Wildlife; Fisheries and Parks.

In 2012, during his second term, he served as a member of Elections (Chair); Judiciary, Division B (Vice-Chair); Appropriations; Compilation; Revision and Publication; Congressional Redistricting (Vice-Chair);Constitution;Drug Policy; Energy; Legislative Reapportionment; Municipalities; and Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. He was also Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of Mental Health, Chairman on the Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of Rehabilitation Services, and Chairman on the Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of Human Services.^[1]

During the 2011 legislative redistricting battle, McDaniel played a key role in defeating the House redistricting plan, moving to table the plan designed by the House, making it clear the Senate would not rubber stamp the House plan.^[36][37] He was then appointed a conferee along with Elections Chairman Terry Burton and Senate President Pro Tem Billy Hewes.^[37] The House plan was not adopted.^[37][38]

2014 Senate campaign

McDaniel is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Thad Cochran. McDaniel has been endorsed by the fiscally conservative Club for Growth PAC.^[39][40] He was rumored to be a potential candidate for the Senate seat before officially announcing his candidacy.^[41][42]

Personal life

McDaniel is married to Jill Tullos McDaniel, a former Miss Mississippi USA.^[43] They have two children, Cambridge Christopher McDaniel and Chamberlain Christopher McDaniel. McDaniel is a Southern Baptist.^[44]

References

External links

• Chris McDaniel For Senate: Chris McDaniel's site for his campaign for United States Senate
• Chris McDaniel constituency site
• Right Side Radio
• Hortman Harlow Bassi Robinson & McDaniel
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart