Race Summary

In this special election to fill the remaining four years of the retired Trent Lott\'s Senate term, Republican Roger Wicker and Democrat Ronnie Musgrove are in for what should be a far more competitive race than initially expected.

Wicker, who had represented the 1st District since 1994, left his House seat at the end of 2007 after being appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour to serve in this seat until the November election. Ronnie Musgrove has won two statewide elections, including for lieutenant governor in 1995 and governor in 1999.

When Wicker\'s conservative House district flipped to the Democrats in a May special election, it sparked the view of this race as one to watch. That election marked the third vacant GOP seat that Democrats won this year. Though not the most conservative district in the state, Bush won 62% there in 2004.

Musgrove holds an advantage of more statewide name recognition, while Wicker is known mainly by just his Northern Mississippi district. Still, Wicker is running as a Republican in a state that has voted Republican in the last seven presidential elections.

Demographics

Previous Election Results

Senate
2006: Lott (R) 64, Fleming (D) 35
2002: Cochran (R) 85, O\'Hara (Ref) 15
2000: Lott (R) 66, Brown (D) 32
1996: Cochran (R) 71, Hunt (D) 27

President
2004: Bush (R) 59, Kerry (D) 40
2000: Bush (R) 58, Gore (D) 41
1996: Dole (R) 49, Clinton (D) 44