Officials of Missouri’s Republican and Democratic parties have set dates to pick nominees for the vacant 8th Congressional District seat.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/11KDKrR ) reports Democrats will gather Feb. 16 in Poplar Bluff to choose a candidate for the June 4 special election. Republicans are scheduled to select their candidate Saturday in Van Buren.

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson resigned last month after 17 years in the U.S. House to take a job leading the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Gov. Jay Nixon set the date for the special election to finish the remainder of Emerson’s term.

Both party meetings are open to the public.