Ex-ag secretary Mike Espy seeks Cochran’s Senate seat

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy hopes to serve Mississippi as a U.S. senator, following the resignation of Sen. Thad Cochran.

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Mike Espy has revealed his intent to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate, following the announcement of Sen. Thad Cochran's resignation. | @MikeEspySenate, Twitter
Mike Espy has revealed his intent to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate, following the announcement of Sen. Thad Cochran's resignation. | @MikeEspySenate, Twitter

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy has revealed his intent to run for a U.S. Senate seat that will become vacant with the resignation of Sen. Thad Cochran.

Thad Cochran’s resignation

Cochran, whose resignation will be effective April 1, issued the following statement: “I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge.  I intend to fulfill my responsibilities and commitments to the people of Mississippi and the Senate through the completion of the 2018 appropriations cycle, after which I will formally retire from the U.S. Senate.

“It has been a great honor to serve the people of Mississippi and our country.  I’ve done my best to make decisions in the best interests of our nation, and my beloved state.  My top concern has always been my constituents in Mississippi.  My hope is by making this announcement now, a smooth transition can be ensured so their voice will continue to be heard in Washington, D.C.  My efforts, and those of my staff, to assist them will continue and transfer to my successor.”

Cochran is currently a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. He first joined the committee following his election in 1978. He served as the committee chairman from 2003 to 2005, and later served as the committee’s ranking member.

A replacement for Cochran will be appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant, who will fill that seat until special election to fill out the remainder of the term occurs.

Espy to run for office

Espy, according to media reports, has announced his “strong intention” to run for the seat being vacated by Cochran.

He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1993, before being appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as the U.S. secretary of agriculture. He held that position for about two years, but that tenure was not without scandal as he was accused of accepting improper gifts. He was acquitted on all charges related to those allegations.

Espy, who is a practicing lawyer and consultant, specializes in  government relations, public finance, agribusiness transactions, commercial law, international law, and mass tort litigation. His firms are Mike Espy, PLLC, and AE Agritrade, Inc.

“It’s been some time since I worked in Washington and I have witnessed with dismay the continuing dysfunction. I have proven that I can work with everyone as long as the goal is a better Mississippi," Espy said in a statement.

A Twitter page has been set up for Espy’s Senate campaign, but as of noon on March 6, no tweets had appeared on the page.

Johanns also went from ag secretary to senator

If elected, Espy would be the second former agriculture secretary in recent history to become a senator. Mike Johanns, who served as George W. Bush’s second agriculture secretary from 2005 to 2007, represented Nebraska in the United States Senate from 2009 to 2015.

Johanns vacated the position before the end of Bush’s term to focus on the Senate campaign.

Johanns opted against running for a second term in the Senate.

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