1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi

1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi

← 1972 November 7, 1978 1984 →
 
Nominee Thad Cochran Maurice Dantin Charles Evers
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Popular vote 267,302 187,541 133,646
Percentage 45.29% 31.77% 22.64%

Cochran:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Dantin:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Evers:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election

James Eastland
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Thad Cochran
Republican

The 1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James Eastland decided to retire.

Republican Thad Cochran won the open seat, becoming the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate election in Mississippi since the end of Reconstruction in 1881.[1] It was also the first time since 1877 that a Republican won this Senate seat.