By Shannon McCaffrey, The Associated Press
ATLANTA — Jim Martin, a former Georgia lawmaker hand-picked by Democratic leaders, defeated DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones on Tuesday night to claim his party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate.
The runoff win means Martin will face Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss in November.
With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Martin led Jones by a comfortable margin of 60 percent to 40 percent, according to election returns compiled by The Associated Press. Martin crushed Jones on his home turf of DeKalb County, winning 62 percent of the vote to Jones’ 38 percent.
“In just a short time we put together a campaign that could withstand formidable opponents,” Martin told supporters. “It’s about time to put an end to the failed policies in Washington. It is time that someone stand up for the working people.”
Jones, 47, had sought to become Georgia’s first black U.S. senator. He wasted no chance to link himself to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. But he was hobbled by a pair of voters for Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004.
“I accept God’s will,” Jones told reporters Tuesday night. “This is Jim’s night. We should congratulate him.”
Martin, 62, entered the race in April at the urging of party leaders in Washington and his campaign has been supported by an infusion of cash from Democratic political action committees.
Jones labeled Martin too liberal for Georgia, a charge that’s likely to resurface against Chambliss.
Martin’s first bid for statewide office fell short in 2006 when he lost a race for lieutenant governor to Republican Casey Cagle. The soft-spoken veteran politician led the state Department of Human Resources.
Dozens of supporters gathered at Jones’ political headquarters in Atlanta, including some campaign volunteers involved in Barack Obama’s presidential bid.
Victoria Williams, a Jones supporter, said both Democratic candidates will help Obama’s candidacy.
“If he wins or loses, whoever the Democratic nominee becomes, it will help Obama because Jones and Martin support the same issues — like economy and energy,” she said.
The mood was upbeat at a Martin campaign rally Tuesday night as early vote tallies showed him with a comfortable lead. The candidate was treated to a boisterous round of applause when he appeared at the party about two hours after the polls closed.
Jan Hackney, one of his campaign’s volunteers, said she met Jim Martin during her unsuccessful bid for a state House seat and has supported him ever since.
“I know Jim and what kind of person he is,” she said. “His integrity is incredible — he is a class act.”
Jones and Martin were the top vote getters in a five-man Democratic primary July 15.
Just 18 percent of registered voters made it to the polls in July’s primary. It looked like far fewer those voters were expected to return to the ballot box for the runoff.
The last U.S. Senate Democratic primary runoff, in 2004, posted 6 percent turnout.
Martin will face an uphill climb against Chambliss, who has $4 million in his campaign war chest even after a massive media buy to blanket television airwaves statewide with his first re-election ad. The ad will debut after Tuesday’s runoff.
Chambliss on Tuesday sent letters to both Jones and Martin saying he looks forward to debating whoever emerges as his opponent, but did not commit to a specific debate. He sent a similar letter to Libertarian Senate candidate Allen Buckley, also on the ballot in November.
“After today’s vote, the people of Georgia have a right to know what distinguishes their United States senator from the other candidates,” Chambliss wrote. “A crucial part of that process for Georgians will be public debates.”
