Report #002: Federal Probe into HISD School Closures Moves Forward. Report #001 GOP Moderate Lands Black Votes to Seal Victory in Mississippi These reports are written by Robert Stanton on assignment for Houston Business Connections Magazine. The individuals featured in this report at: United States Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS); State Senator Chris McDaniel who represents House District 42 in Mississippi; and Jew Don Boney, Jr., the former City of Houston Mayor Pro-Tem. As his hotly contested primary run-off election fast approached, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) needed nothing short of a miracle to fend off Tea Party challenger State Sen. Chris McDaniel. McDaniel, a former conservative talk show host, was named a “Rising Star” in 2012 in the Republican Party by The Clarion-Ledger, centering his message on two big issues: federal spending and the conservative credentials of both candidates.