Gov. Haley Barbour has set an April 22 nonpartisan special election to fill the unexpired term of former U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker in north Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District.

Candidates’ qualifying deadline is March 7. A runoff, if necessary, is May 13. The winner will serve the rest of a two-year term, through early next January.

The special election overlaps with the regular election in the 1st District. Republican and Democratic primaries for the regular election are March 11. A runoff, if necessary, will be April 1. The general election is Nov. 4.

In December, Barbour appointed Republican Wicker to fill a U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the retirement of the GOP’s Trent Lott. Wicker and Democratic former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove are running in the Nov. 4 special Senate election to complete Lott’s term, which ends in January 2013.