The Mississippi Republican Party on Monday officially certified Sen.Thad Cochran as the winner of its June 24 runoff election, but that merely sets the stage for Chris McDaniel to formally challenge the results.

The state party delivered its results to Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann Monday, giving Mr. Cochran a 7,667-vote margin. That figure is 974 votes more than the difference reported between the two candidates two weeks ago.