The wave of Republican support that swept across the countryduring Tuesday’s general election filtered down to the local levelin Lincoln County, setting up a runoff between two GOP candidatesin a race for a seat on the county’s election commission.

Ruth’s Rachel Cole Gatlin and Brookhaven’s Barbara Davis willcompete for the title of District Three election commissioner in arunoff election on Nov. 23 after both established huge leads overtheir Democratic contenders, but failed to reach a majoritypercentage.

Gatlin gathered the highest tally, with her 734 votesrepresenting almost 40 percent of District Three’s 1,850 voters.Davis was close behind with 659 votes, good for approximately 36percent of the total. Democratic candidates Gloria Brown and MikeWalley earned 285 and 172 votes, respectively.

“I feel very positive,” Davis said. “I think it was great thatmany people got out in the weather today and voted.”

Davis said she was expecting a runoff to be the end result ofTuesday’s election, and she’s glad to be a contender alongside afellow Republican.

“You never know,” she said. “Politics are politics.”

Gatlin was excited to emerge from the contest with the highestvote total in her first attempt at running for office.

“I prayed all day long,” she said. “I wanted to have a goodturnout, so I’m pleased. I have to do a little more campaigningnow.”

Gatlin also remarked on the resurgence of Republicanism reachingdown into the election commissioner’s race, where politicalaffiliation is basically useless to the office’s duties.Regardless, it’s an office usually held by Democrats.

“I think people are concerned about the direction our country isgoing here lately, and it’s carried over into the local elections,”she said. “It’s raised political awareness, and I’m glad to seethat. Maybe people aren’t voting the same way anymore just becausethat’s the way they’ve always voted.”

Lincoln County’s Republican slant was on even greater display inthe election’s only national race, where incumbent U.S. Rep. GreggHarper defeated Democratic challenger Joel Gill by a handsomemargin to retain the 3rd Congressional District for a secondterm.

In local totals, Harper, of Pearl, bested his opponent fromPickens by a vote of 5,872 to 2,367, gathering 71 percent of thevote to Gill’s 29 percent. Reform Party candidate Tracella LouO’Hara Hill managed only 33 votes countywide.

“The first I heard of that tonight was from Greg Warnock, thepastor at First Baptist Church, who was at our victory party,”Harper said late Tuesday night, speaking of his old friend. “Hetold me Lincoln County voted 71 percent for us, and man – we’rejust so honored. What a great turnout, and we can’t say thanksenough.”

Harper remarked on his fellow Republicans nationwide, who turnedin a huge performance in what was widely seen as a searingrejection of Democratic policies and President Barack Obama.

Part of that change happened in Mississippi, where Republicannewcomers defeated two established Democrats. State Sen. AlanNunnelee defeated Travis Childers to represent the state’s northern1st Congressional District, while state Rep. Steven Palazzo tookaway a seat held for more than 20 year by Gene Taylor in thecoast’s 4th Congressional District.

Three of Mississippi’s four seats in the U.S. House are now heldby Republicans. Incumbent Democrat Bennie Thompson retained his 2ndCongressional District seat, fending off a healthy challenge fromRepublican Bill Marcy.

Nationwide, Republicans took control of the House ofRepresentatives with a large majority, finishing the night with 212seats to Democrats’ 145. The change of power in the House willimmediately spell an end to Nancy Pelosi’s reign as speaker andestablish a roadblock to the president’s policies.

“I’m stunned at what’s going on across the country,” Harpersaid. “It makes all the difference in the world.”

Republicans failed to gain a majority in the U.S. Senate but didmake gains in that body.

Lincoln County Republican boss John Roberts predicted theRepublican wave would last into next year and affect statewideelections.

“When you look at District Three, between Rachel and Barbara,they got 75 percent of the vote. When you look at Gregg Harper’srace, he got close to 71 percent of the vote. It’s a Republicancounty,” he said Tuesday. “And look at what Mississippi did. Wehave three Republican congressmen now. This morning, we only hadone.”

Roberts is hopeful the momentum will have an impact on localpoliticians who live and vote conservatively but run asDemocrats.

“I hope a lot of people will consider running in Lincoln Countyas a Republican next year,” he said.

All in all, Tuesday’s turnout was satisfactory, said LincolnCounty Circuit Clerk Terry Lynn Watkins. The total number of voterswho cast ballots in the general election was 8,274, slightly morethan 33 percent of the county’s 24,904 registered voters.

“This was an exceptional turnout for an election that only hadtwo races,” Watkins said. “Opposition usually brings people out, soin my opinion, this is really encouraging.”

There was no bad blood among the candidates defeated in theelection commissioner race.

“The polls spoke,” said Walley. “I wish I would have done alittle better, but somebody has to lose and somebody has to win. Iwould like to thank all the people who came out and voted – atleast that shows they are concerned about what’s going on.”

Brown has already turned her attention to the next election.

“I’m looking forward to 2012,” she said. “Maybe one day I’ll getit.”