Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Three candidates are running for a Mississippi Senate seat in parts of Hinds and Madison counties.

Bill Billingsley of Madison, Walter Michel of Ridgeland and J. Leland Speed of Madison will be on the ballot March 8 — the same day as congressional and presidential primaries.

The District 25 seat became vacant when Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Republican Sen. Will Longwitz to be a Madison County judge.

Billingsley, former owner of a home health and hospice business, lost to Longwitz in the 2015 GOP primary for Senate.

Michel works for his family's commercial real estate business and served three Senate terms before declining to run again in 2011.

Speed is president of Eastover Insurance Group.

Candidates run without party labels in special elections, but all three say they're Republicans.