GOP’s Wicker reelected in Mississippi Senate race

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) defeated Democratic opponent David Baria on Tuesday, as voters decided to send the incumbent back to Washington for a third term in the upper chamber.

Wicker’s victory was expected, particularly after polling last month showed him with a comfortable 28-point lead over Baria, a state representative. Wicker also fended off challenges from Libertarian candidate Danny Bedwell and Reform Party candidate Sean O’Hara.

{mosads}The race was largely eclipsed by Mississippi’s other Senate contest – the special election to decide who will finish out Sen. Thad Cochran’s term after the Republican’s retirement over health concerns earlier this year. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) was tapped to immediately replace Cochran after he stepped down on April 1.

Wicker has represented the deep red state in the Senate since 2007. He is a member of the chamber’s GOP leadership, and sits on key Senate panels, including the Armed Services and Rules committees.