1978Final results
1978 election for U.S. Senate in Mississippi
U.S. Senate · Mississippi
Thad Cochran (R) won with 45.3% of the vote, defeating Maurice Dantin (D) by 13.5 points.
Thad CochranRepublican · winner
45.3%267,302
Maurice DantinDemocrat
31.8%187,541
James Charles EversIndependent
22.6%133,646
Henry Jay KirkseyIndependent
0.3%1,747
590,236 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1978
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The candidates
Thad Cochran (R)Maurice Dantin (D)James Charles Evers (I)
Also on the ballot: Henry Jay Kirksey (Independent), 0.3%