Both second-place finishers in the March 11 GOP primaries in Mississippi's 1st and 3rd Districts came out victorious in yesterday's primary runoff contests. Both Southaven Mayor Glen Davis and former Rankin County GOP Chairman Gregg Harper are poised to succeed the outgoing Republican incumbents, Roger Wicker and Chip Pickering.

In the 1st, Davis won by a tight margin, 51%-49%, over former Tupelo Mayor Glen McCullough Jr., who won the March 11 primary but fell short of the necessary 50% take, forcing a runoff. In November, Davis will face Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers, who won the Democratic runoff easily, 57%-43%, over state Rep. Steve Holland.

Wicker has already vacated the 1st District seat, after being appointed at the end of last year to fill Trent Lott's Senate seat. The four candidates in the Democratic and GOP runoffs, plus two others, will face off in a nonpartisan special election April 22 to fill the remainder of Wicker's term. If no candidate takes 50% of the vote, a runoff between the top two vote-getters will be held May 13.

Though the 1st appears to be a reliably Republican district -- Bush won 62% in 2004 and Wicker never received less than 63% in seven elections -- state Democrats are holding out hope that they will win this open seat in the special election and November.

In the 3rd, Harper defeated state Sen. Charlie Ross 57%-43%. Ross had edged out Harper to defeat a large field of candidates in the March 11 primary. In November, Harper will be heavily favored to defeat Democrat Joel Gill, who won the March 11 primary.