— State Sen. Chris McDaniel (R) sounded a defiant note in a speech following his defeat at the hands of Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) in a razor tight primary that went down to the wire in Tuesday’s runoff.

Introducing McDaniel, State Sen. Michael Watson, his close friend and surrogate, called him the Republican nominee, jarring the audience and members of the press who had heard moments earlier from calls and from their phones that he had lost.

McDaniel’s voice was quiet, quivering at times with emotion. He spoke about his father and about his political education, frequently citing Ronald Reagan as an inspiration. Then, his face darkening, he said he and others have come to feel like “strangers” in their party.

Then his voice rose, angry as he recounted Cochran’s outreach to Democrats, saying the senator and his supporters had “abandoned the conservative movement.” He pledged to fight on, not once mentioning Cochran’s name or conceding from the race.

“It’s our job to make sure the sanctity of the vote is upheld,” he said. “There were dozens of irregularities reported.” Some in the crowd, cheering him on, yelled, “Tell us! Tell us!”

“We’re not prone to surrender,” he said. “We’ll see you soon.”

McDaniel shook a few hands then ducked behind a white curtain, trailed by his wife, Jill, and their young sons, carrying the briefing binder he had laid and opened on the podium but barely glanced at during his remarks.

The crowd dissipated quickly, softly placing McDaniel signs on the tables and putting down drinks from the cash bar next to the stage.

In background conversations soon after, McDaniel’s senior advisers said legal action against Cochran is likely in the coming days.