By Rachel Kapochunas, CQ Staff

Runoff primaries Tuesday yielded good news for two Mississippi Republicans new to national politics: Each is virtually assured of a place in the House of Representatives.

Gregg Harper, former Rankin County GOP chairman, won the Republican nomination in the sweeping 3rd District with 57 percent, besting former state Sen. Charlie Ross, who received 43 percent with 99 percent of the precincts reporting.

In the northeastern 1st District, Southaven Mayor Greg Davis narrowly won the GOP nomination with 51 percent of the vote over former Tupelo mayor Glenn L. McCullough Jr., who received 49 percent.

The four candidates were the top finishers in separate March 11 primary races in which no candidate received a majority, necessitating Tuesday’s runoff elections. Neither Harper nor Davis were first-place finishers in their primaries and were regarded as the underdog candidates for the runoff competition.

CQ Politics rates both seats Safe Republican.

Little variation existed between the ideologies of the GOP candidates who were all competing in heavily conservative areas. Candidates sought to distinguish themselves in other ways.

In the 3rd, the candidates campaigned on limited government, illegal immigration and other conservative touchstones, but Ross highlighted his lengthy resume which included service in the state legislature, a law degree from Harvard University, and military service.

Harper, an attorney and longtime party activist, has never held elected office and raised less money than his competitors. But his campaign included a personal commitment to families who have children with special needs. Harper’s son has a genetic condition called “Fragile X,” a reference to a chromosome mutation which causes mental impairment and often autism. Harper also found a wealth of support from the religious community.

Harper is now solidly favored to win the seat in November over Democrat Joel Gill.

The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Charles W. “Chip” Pickering Jr. who announced he will be retiring from the seat at the end of the current term in January 2009.

1st District: Not Done Yet

The 1st District also is an open seat race. It was previously held by Republican Roger Wicker , but Republican Gov. Haley Barbour appointed Wicker Dec. 31 to succeed Trent Lott in the Senate. Because the appointment occurred midterm, the seat has been vacant since Wicker moved to the Senate.

Southaven Mayor Davis eked out a win in Tuesday’s runoff, even though he was outspent by McCullough, who drew from wide-ranging political connections.

McCullough was perhaps the most well-connected GOP candidate in the 1st District. He is a former mayor of Tupelo, which is the largest city in this heavily rural area, and also is a former Tennessee Valley Authority chairman, a presidential appointment. He raised the most money among the 1st District Republicans.

Both McCullough and Davis championed heavily conservative ideals and touted their experience but also attacked each other on the airwaves. The bitter primary split Mississippi Republicans. Former Sen. Trent Lottbacked Davis and current Republican Sen. Thad Cochran supported McCullough.

Davis is now set to face Democratic Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis W. Childers in the November general election. Childers won Tuesday’s Democratic runoff 57 to 43 percent against state Rep. Steve Holland.

But, in a twist of Mississippi fate, the same candidates who faced each other Tuesday for the 1st District seat will do so again, and much sooner than November. A special election will be held April 22 to choose Wicker’s temporary successor and due to his win Tuesday, Davis now holds an edge for that competition.

Candidates of all parties will run on the same ballot in the April 22 election in which no party designations will be listed on the ballot. Davis and McCullough qualified for that race, as did Holland and Childers. Wally Pang and John M. Wages Jr. also are competing in that contest.

If no candidate receives a majority, the top two candidates, regardless of party, will advance to a May 13 runoff.

The northern 1st District is strongly Republican. District voters supported President Bush with 62 percent in 2004 and Wicker was re-elected with 66 percent of the vote in 2006.