Christopher Brian McDaniel is an American attorney, talk radio host and far-right politician who has served in the Mississippi State Senate since 2008. Although McDaniel was not initially believed to pose a serious threat to Cochran, he proved a formidable challenger. Polling showed the lead swinging between the two and it eventually became a "50%-50% race". McDaniel was vocal about his intention to repeal Obamacare and to work to lower the national debt.