Barbour said Cochran’s announcement was good news.

“His stature and prestige in the Senate have helped our state time and time again, and never as much as after Hurricane Katrina,” Barbour said in a statement.

When Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina, Cochran, then chairman of the Appropriations Committee, presided over proceedings on legislation that provided $87 billion in supplemental federal assistance to the states affected by the storm.

He’s been credited with steering federal funding to numerous Mississippi economic development projects over the years, as well as fighting for programs that benefit residents in the state, including Head Start, a nutritional and literacy program for needy children.

“I have enjoyed serving in the Senate and I am highly honored to have had the support and encouragement to continue this service from friends throughout the state.

“I look forward to working with the other members of our delegation in Washington to keep our country strong and safe and economically sound, and to ensure that our state’s interests are well served by the federal government,” Cochran said.

A full sixth term would give Cochran 36 years in the Senate, matching the record of his predecessor, the late U.S. Sen. James O. Eastland.

The late U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis served more than 41 years.