Former United States Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy intends to run for the Senate seat currently held by the retiring Republican Thad Cochran, of Mississippi.
Cochran will retire April 1, stating his health has ?become an ongoing challenge.? Espy, a Democrat and the first Agriculture Secretary in the Clinton Administration, intends to run for the Senate seat. Espy was the first African-American to hold the U.S. Agriculture Secretary position.
The Hagstrom Report notes Espy was indicted for receiving improper gifts in 1997, but was acquitted of all charges in 1998. Espy resigned from his post at USDA amidst the controversies. He then returned to Mississippi to work as a lawyer.
Mississippi will hold a special election in November for Cochran?s Senate seat, along with a normal election for the state?s other Senate seat.
