Mississippi governor won’t appoint himself to Senate

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi’s Republican governor took himself out of the mix Tuesday for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Thad Cochran, saying he’ll find another strong contender to keep the seat firmly in GOP hands.

“There’s something nefarious about the idea of a governor appointing himself. Washington’s not where I want to be just now,” Gov. Phil Bryant told reporters.

Cochran, 80, announced Monday that he is stepping down because of poor health. Bryant said he will choose a temporary successor for Cochran after the senator’s April 1 resignation.

A special election will be held in November to fill the rest of Cochran’s term, which ends in January 2021.

With Republicans trying to hold onto their slim Senate majority, pressure is building on Bryant to appoint someone who can keep the GOP’s historical lock on the seat. Some senators have said President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky encouraged Bryant to move himself to the Senate. Bryant, however, said he wants to finish his second and final term as governor, which ends in January 2020.

Democrats achieved a rare victory in the solid Republican South in December, when Doug Jones defeated the GOP’s Roy Moore in a special election in Alabama.

Bryant said he will choose someone who will run in the special election.