Mississippi's two Republican congressmen will run unopposed by Democrats this year, but Democratic U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson and Gene Taylor face challenges from the GOP. The qualifying deadline for candidates was Friday.

In south Mississippi's 4th District - which Taylor, of Bay St. Louis, has represented since a 1989 special election - a last-day Republican qualifier was state Rep. Mike Lott of Petal.

Also running as Republicans are Karl Mertz of Long Beach, who challenged Taylor in 2002; Steven McCaleb of Long Beach and Randy McDonnell of Biloxi.

Tracella Lou O'Hara Hill of Hattiesburg is running as a Reform Party candidate in the 4th District.

The 2nd District includes the Delta and most of Jackson. Thompson, of Bolton, is running again for the seat he's held since a 1993 special election.

Republican 2nd District candidates are James Broadwater of Jackson, Clinton B. LeSueur of Greenville and Stephanie Summers-O'Neal of Jackson. LeSueur received 44 percent against Thompson in 2002.

The Reform Party's Shawn O'Hara of Hattiesburg also is running in the 2nd District. Candidates are not required to live in the district where they run.

Party primaries are March 9 and the general election is Nov. 2.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has targeted Taylor and Thompson as two of 35 Democrats it considers vulnerable either because President Bush fared well in their districts in 2000 or because Republicans had strong showing in the last congressional election.

In north Mississippi's 1st District, Republican Roger Wicker of Tupelo is seeking a sixth two-year term. He was first elected in 1994.

Also running is the Reform Party's Barbara Dale Washer of Hattiesburg.

In the 3rd District, which stretches from the southwest corner of the state into parts of the Golden Triangle, Republican Chip Pickering of Madison is seeking another term. He was first elected in 1996.

Others running in the 3rd District are independent Jim Giles of Pearl and the Reform Party's Lamonica L. Magee of Foxworth.

Mississippi had five congressional districts until slow population growth cost it a seat after the 2000 Census.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)