2008 Georgia Senate

Sen. Saxby Chambliss was heavily favored to retain his seat for a second term, though polling late in the campaign has made Chambliss appear more vulnerable than first expected. Chambliss previously served 8 years in the House and continues to have high favorable ratings in the state.

Challenging Chambliss is former state Rep. Jim Martin, who won an August 5 runoff against DeKalb Co. CEO Vernon Jones. After finishing second to Jones in the July 15 primary, Martin delivered a crushing 20-point victory in the runoff. National Democrats favored Martin over Jones, who had a checkered past and was unlikely to receive any support from the top Democrat on the ticket, Barack Obama.

Chambliss and the state GOP are forced this year to work not only against the Democratic challenger, but also the vast voter registration drives of the Obama campaign, who had been targeting the state as a pick-up opportunity though pulled a lot of resources out of the state late in the campaign as it appeared winning Georgia would be a stretch.