GOP: “Mississippi Republican Sen. Thad Cochran, who chairs the powerful Appropriations Committee, will leave his seat effective April 1, citing his health issues that have kept him away from the Senate in recent months.
‘I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge,’ Cochran said in a statement. ‘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.’
The 80-year-old’s health declined in the last few years and he is currently serving his seventh term in the Senate. He was absent from his duties in the Senate for a few weeks last fall with a urinary tract infection.
Longtime Senate aides, who observed Cochran regularly, noted privately that the senator seemed to have slowed down mentally in recent years but they acknowledge it’s difficult to tell to what degree.
Republican Gov. Phil Bryant will appoint a replacement with a special election for his seat scheduled in November. Republican Roger Wicker, the junior senator from Mississippi, also has his election in November.”
-Ted Barrett and Daniella Diaz, “GOP Sen. Thad Cochran to step down April 1,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Mar. 5, 2018 05:08pm