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Chris McDaniel

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Chris McDaniel
Member of the Mississippi Senate
from the 42nd district
Assumed office
January 2008
Personal details
Born
Christopher Brian McDaniel

(1972-06-28) June 28, 1972 (age 52)
Laurel, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Alma materJones County Junior College
William Carey University
University of Mississippi, Oxford

Christopher Brian "Chris" McDaniel (born June 28, 1972) is an American attorney, conservative commentator and a Republican politician in the Mississippi Senate who has represented the 42nd District, which encompasses part of South Mississippi, since 2008.[1][2]

McDaniel is challenging incumbent Senator Thad Cochran in the 2014 Mississippi Republican Senate primary.[3]

Early life and education

McDaniel was born in Laurel, Mississippi. He graduated with honors from Jones County Junior College and received his B.S. with honors from William Carey University. After graduating from William Carey in 1994, McDaniel entered the University of Mississippi School of Law, graduating cum laude in 1997 with a Juris Doctor degree.[4] McDaniel resides with his family in Ellisville, Mississippi. He is the grandson of early country singer Luke McDaniel and distant cousin to U.S. President John F. Kennedy. McDaniel is Irish-American on his mother's side and Scottish-American on his father's side.

EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

  • Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi. Degree: Associate in Arts.
  • William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Degree: Bachelor of Science.
  • University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. Degree: Juris Doctor (Cum Laude).

In 1997, McDaniel entered a two-year federal clerkship with United States District Court Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr. After leaving his position as a law clerk with Judge Pickering, McDaniel joined the law firm of Hortman Harlow Bassi Robinson & McDaniel,[5] becoming a partner in 2003. His areas of concentration include Litigation, Insurance Defense, Corporate Law, Products Liability, Commercial Litigation, Consumer Products Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation, Complex Multi-Party Litigation, Legislation, Constitutional Law & Civil Rights. He is licensed to practice law in Mississippi and Texas.[4][6][7]

In 2010, he was also named one of the top 50 lawyers in Mississippi by the Mississippi Business Journal.[4][8] From 2008-12, he was a Mid-South Rising Star by SuperLawyers magazine.[9]

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

  • Federal Law Clerk to United States District Court Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr., United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (1997-1999)
  • Attorney and Partner in the Law Firm of Hortman, Harlow, Bassi, Robinson & McDaniel (1999-present). Areas of Concentration: Litigation, Insurance Defense, Corporate Defense, Corporate Law, Products Liability Defense, Commercial Litigation, Complex Multi-Party Litigation, Constitutional Law & Civil Rights
  • Co-owner of B.C. Properties, LLC, a commercial real estate business located in Laurel (2003-present)
  • Owner of Cambridge Properties, LLC, a residential real estate business
  • Past president of Right Side Radio, LLC, a pro-Christian organization dedicated to the advocacy of conservative philosophy and ideals

Affiliations

McDaniel is affiliated with the Gideons International, Republican National Lawyer Association,[10] Mississippi Economic Council, Association for Excellence in Education, National Rifle Association, American Family Association, Jones County Bar Association, Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, Defense Research Institute, Mississippi Claims Association, Fifth Federal Circuit Bar Association, the Hundred Club of Jones County, Federalist Society, Mississippi Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Rotary Club and Exchange Club.[4]

Other

McDaniel is the former host of The Right Side Radio Show on WMXI 98.1 FM in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, nationally syndicated since 2006 by EBN Radio Network and Golden Broadcasters. The show was broadcast nationwide on ABC Radio Networks and the industry standard Starguide III system.[11] The show returned to local stations upon his leaving the show.[12][13]

McDaniel has been a guest host and/or appeared on numerous conservative talk shows. He has guest hosted shows with Mychal Massie and Ray Spero, nationally renowned conservative commentators. He has hosted shows on the Supertalk Mississippi network.

Political career

On April 15, 2009, McDaniel spoke at Laurel's Tax Day Tea Party.[14] He spoke before the Central Mississippi tax day tea party.[14]

On April 9, 2010, McDaniel filed a federal class action lawsuit on behalf of Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and 11 other Mississippians for declaratory and injunctive relief seeking a determination that provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) violate the United States Constitution by mandating American citizens to purchase health insurance.[15][16][17][18][19][20] He was named 2010 Citizen of the Year by the Laurel Leader Call newspaper.[4]

He was named a "Rising Star" in 2012 in the Republican Party.[21][22][23]

He has been referred to as a "Libertarian Republican",[24] and a staunch defender of liberty. However, he describes his philosophy as "conservative" or "a fusion of Judeo-Christian principles, free enterprise, limited government, fiscal responsibility, free market policies, reduced tax rates, morality in government, strong national defense, federalism and Constitutional checks and balances". [citation needed]

In 2012, McDaniel led a delegation to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, which dedicated a monument for the eight Mississippians who died when the fort was overrun in 1836.[25][26][27][28][29]

McDaniel was named 2012 "Legislator of the Year" by the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Association and the 2013 "Legislator of the Year" by the Mississippi Highway Patrol. He has been considered as a possible candidate for U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 4th Congressional District.[30]

Mississippi Senate

McDaniel is a Republican politician who has served as a member of the Mississippi Senate since 2008.[2] He is Vice-Chairman of Oil, Gas and Other Minerals Committee and a member of numerous other committees, including Education; Elections; Appropriations; Judiciary, Division A; Public Health and Welfare; Wildlife; Fisheries and Parks. [citation needed]

In 2012, during his second term, he served as a member of Elections (Chair); Judiciary, Division B (Vice-Chair); Appropriations; Compilation; Revision and Publication; Congressional Redistricting (Vice-Chair);Constitution;Drug Policy; Energy; Legislative Reapportionment; Municipalities; and Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. He was also Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of Mental Health, Chairman on the Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of Rehabilitation Services, and Chairman on the Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of Human Services.[1]

During the 2011 legislative redistricting battle, McDaniel played a key role in defeating the House redistricting plan, moving to table the plan designed by the House, making it clear the Senate would not rubber stamp the House plan.[31][32] He was then appointed a conferee along with Elections Chairman Terry Burton and Senate President Pro Tem Billy Hewes.[32] The House plan was not adopted.[32][33]

LEGISLATIVE SUCCESSES

Constitutional Rights: Chris wrote the “Mississippi Student Religious Liberties Act of 2013” that protects students’ right to express religious belief individually and separately from public school endorsement. The bill requires a disclaimer to be provided at graduation ceremonies and other situations that allows students to engage in religious free speech.[34] This important legislation was signed into law[35].

National Security: Chris authored a bill that makes terrorism a crime punishable by death in a state court. The legislation adds an aggravated factor that makes it easier to impose the death penalty in state courts in cases of terrorism.[36] This legislation was signed into law.

Immigration: Chris wrote and introduced the Employment Protection Act in 2008. Also known as the E-Verify law, it requires all Mississippi companies to use an Internet-based system to check the legal status of potential employees. This legislation was signed into law. Chris also introduced a number of other important pieces of legislation relating to immigration, including bills to prohibit federal and state benefits to undocumented workers, to prohibit the creation of sanctuary cities in Mississippi and to require undocumented aliens to pay out-of-state tuition at state schools.

Obamacare: Chris led the challenge against Obamacare as lead council in a suit against the federal government for unconstitutionally imposing taxes on people who don’t have health insurance. Although the Supreme Court declared Obamacare constitutional, Chris has not let up in his fight to defeat Obamacare. He vocally opposed and voted against legislation aimed at implementing Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion in Mississippi.

Abortion: Chris has authored many pieces of legislation protecting the unborn, including Personhood that grants all human beings equal rights in the state and protection under the law, regardless of their size, location or developmental stage.

Protecting Small Businesses: Chris sponsored legislation designed to give owners of small businesses more say about state regulations that could affect their livelihoods. The bill established a 12-member Small Business Regulatory Review Committee that would examine state rules and laws that could impact businesses with fewer than 100 full-time employees and less than $10 million in gross annual sales or revenues. The bill passed and was signed into law in 2012.

Gun Rights: Chris sponsored legislation to require Mississippi to honor any valid concealed carry permit issued by another state. This bill, which was passed and signed into law, also grants the Department of Public Safety continued authority to enter into written reciprocity agreements with other states if those states require such an agreement before recognizing Mississippi carry permits.

Education: Chris authored the “Mississippi Opportunity Scholarship and Educational Improvement Tax Credit Act of 2012” to provide scholarships to low- and middle-income students in low performing districts to pay tuition at a different public school or private school. It also would allow parents sending their children to private school to get a state income tax credit for the private school tuition. Chris has also led the fight against Common Core, arguing that local communities and teachers should decide how best to educate our children.

Protecting Taxpayers: Chris believes the government has a duty to be accountable for how it spends taxpayer dollars. That’s why he introduced legislation that would require recipients of public assistance to be subject to random testing for nicotine. And that’s why Chris was one of just a few lawmakers who gave back portions of their salaries to the state’s general fund.

Chris has also been willing to vote against spending bills when he believed our state could not afford it. He was one of only two state senators to vote against a $196 million borrowing bill that included millions of dollars for questionable projects, including a Grammy museum in Cleveland, the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, and $1 million for a museum to house the country music collection of singer Marty Stuart in Philadelphia.

Fighting for his Constituents: Chris authored Nathan’s Law which honors five-year-old Nathan Key of Jones County who was killed in 2009 when he was struck by a vehicle that passed his stopped school bus. The law permits felony charges against anyone who passes a stopped school bus and harms or kills a child and allows for misdemeanor charges against motorists who get too close to parked buses. The law requires motorists to stay at least 10 feet from a stopped school bus with fines up to $750 for a first offense. On a second offense, violators face a fine and up to a year in prison. Nathan’s Law was passed and signed into law.

Chris also authored Karen’s Law in honor of a Jones County teenager who was kidnapped, raped and killed in 1987. The killer pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received the maximum prison sentence allowed of 20 years. Chris believed Mississippi’s manslaughter laws were far behind those of other states and authored Karen’s Law to increase the sentence for manslaughter to a maximum of 30 years for any adult who kills a minor. The bill was passed and signed into law in 2012.

Chris has worked tirelessly to protect Mississippi’s children, writing the Child Protection Act, which requires immediate reporting of a suspected sex crime against a minor. This bill was signed into law in 2012. Chris also introduced legislation that raises the penalty for filing a false police report and mandates that crime victims are entitled to a free copy of initial police incident reports.

Private Property Rights: As a first-term senator in 2010, Chris led the fight to protect private property rights when he took on then-Gov. Haley Barbour, a fellow Republican, and urged his fellow state senators to override Gov. Barbour’s veto of eminent domain legislation that would prevent government from taking private land for use by private companies.

Voter ID Legislation: Chris helped defeat a poorly constructed voter ID bill that would have given felons the right to vote and instituted early voting. Instead, Chris pushed for a stronger voter ID bill that led to a statewide referendum that was approved by voters.

2014 Senate campaign

McDaniel is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Thad Cochran. He has been endorsed by the Club for Growth PAC.[37][38] He was rumored to be a potential candidate for the Senate seat before officially announcing his candidacy.[39][40]

In July of 2012, a Facebook Group was launched by a group of Mississippi conservatives to urge State Senator Chris McDaniel to run for the U.S. Senate[41] against Senator Thad Cochran. The page reached 1000 members in less than a week.[42]

Personal life

McDaniel is married to Jill Tullos McDaniel, a former Miss Mississippi USA.[43] They have two children, Cambridge Christopher McDaniel and Chamberlain Christopher McDaniel. McDaniel is a Southern Baptist.[44]

References

  1. ^ a b "Attorney, Partner of Hortman, Harlow, Bassi, Robinson and McDaniel, PLLC". Billstatus.ls.state.ms.us. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Senator Chris McDaniel's Biography". Votesmart.org. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  3. ^ "State Sen. Chris McDaniel announces run for U.S. Senate in 2014". Blog.gulflive.com. October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e Personal web page - Biography[dead link]
  5. ^ "Hortman Harlow Bassi Robinson & McDaniel, PLLC profile at". Martindale.com. August 10, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  6. ^ "Senator Christopher B. McDaniel Lawyer Profile on". Martindale.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  7. ^ "State Bar of Texas". Texasbar.com. September 17, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  8. ^ "Sen. Chris McDaniel profile at". Msbusiness.com. November 21, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  9. ^ "Christopher McDaniel profile at". Super Lawyers. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  10. ^ "Republican National Lawyers Association". RNLA. July 14, 2000. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  11. ^ "Matrix Media, Inc". Matrix Media, Inc. August 7, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  12. ^ "The Right Side Radio Program". WMXI. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  13. ^ LRG. "The Right Side Online at". Therightsideamerica.net. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  14. ^ a b "McDaniel personal webpage at". Senatormcdaniel.com. October 18, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  15. ^ Kevin Wheeler David McRaney, Web Manager (October 19, 2013). "Lt. Gov. Bryant joins lawsuit to block ObamaCare". Wdam.Com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  16. ^ "Sen. Chris McDaniel Files Suit Against Healthcare Legislation". Majorityinms.com. April 4, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  17. ^ Thomas, Philip (April 6, 2010). "Barbour Will Have to Get in Line to Sue Over Healthcare Reform at". Mslitigationreview.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  18. ^ Freedman, Adam (June 15, 2010). "Roe v. Obamacare at". Nationalreview.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  19. ^ Pickert, Kate (March 7, 2011). "Health Care Law's Legal War: Personal, Partisan Battles". TIME. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  20. ^ "Chris McDaniel: Despite SCOTUS Ruling on Healthcare Law, "Right-to-Privacy" Contradiction Offers Glimmer of Hope for Mississippi Challenge". Mississippipep.wordpress.com. July 12, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  21. ^ http://blogs.clarionledger.com/samrhall/2012/07/24/ranking-gop-rising-stars/
  22. ^ "Jackson Jambalaya: And now for my list". Kingfish1935.blogspot.com. July 24, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  23. ^ "Mississippi Republican Watchlist". Yall Politics. July 17, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  24. ^ Dondero, Eric (August 11, 2011). "Libertarian Republican". Libertarian Republican. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  25. ^ "Mississippians who died at siege of the Alamo to be honored". Wdam.Com. October 19, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  26. ^ "Texas honors Mississippians who fought at the Alamo (Sampling History)". US Senators. November 1, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  27. ^ "Alamo marker honors Mississippians who died there". WTVA.com. October 27, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  28. ^ The Associated Press. "Alamo marker honors Mississippians who died there". telegram.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  29. ^ "Bill Text: MS SC623 | 2012 | Regular Session | Engrossed". LegiScan. March 22, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  30. ^ Call, Roll (December 5, 2011). "Mississippi GOP Cautious on Palazzo: Roll Call Politics". Rollcall.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  31. ^ Cottonmouth (March 8, 2011). "Sen. Joey Fillingane offers Bryant's plan at". Cottonmouthblog.blogspot.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  32. ^ a b c "Redistricting in Mississippi". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  33. ^ "QUORUM 3-16-2011 - The Redistricting Fight". YouTube. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  34. ^ "Mississippi Student Religious Liberties Act of 2013" (PDF). McDaniel, Sojourner, Watson.
  35. ^ "Governor Bryant Signs Mississippi Student Religious Liberty Act of 2013". Office of Governor Phil Bryant.
  36. ^ Associated Press. "New bill makes terrorism punishable by death". Mississippi Business Journal. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  37. ^ McCabe, Neil (12-18-2013). "Mississippi toss-up: Cochran v. McDaniel tied at 40% in Human Events/Gravis poll". Retrieved 16 January 2014. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ "Chris McDaniel (MS-Sen)". PAC Candidates. Club for Growth PAC. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  39. ^ Strachan, Ken (September 5, 2012). "Cochran Retirement Could Be Interesting". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  40. ^ Livingston, Abby (November 28, 2012). "Inside the 2014 Senate Races". Atr.rollcall.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  41. ^ Facebook. "Friends of Chris McDaniel for U.S. Senate". Facebook. Retrieved April 6, 2014. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  42. ^ Plunkett, Keith. "Group urging McDaniel to run for U.S. Senate goes viral, reaches 1000 members in 5 days". MississippiPEP.com. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  43. ^ Jason, Vannatta. "Welcome To Miss Mississippi Usa And Miss Mississippi Teen Usa". Missmississippiusa.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  44. ^ "Carey inducts alumni". Msbusiness.com. May 27, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

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