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ATLANTA — In a year when the battle for the White House has pumped up political passions, Georgia’s five-man race for the chance to challenge Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss has been a sleeper.

The race has pitted the CEO of one of Georgia’s biggest counties and a former state lawmaker against three political newcomers who jokingly refer to themselves as the “three amigos.” The crowded Democratic primary field lacks a real front-runner and unifying message, and has generated little noticeable enthusiasm from rank-and-file Georgia Democrats.

And despite speculation that Barack Obama’s history-making presidential quest could drive a large number of Georgia’s heavily Democratic black voters to the polls, Chambliss has the power of incumbency and a $4 million in his campaign war chest.

Former state Rep. Jim Martin, 62, entered the race late and drew the ire of his opponents when he said he’s running because none of the other Democrats could defeat Chambliss. But critics point to his failed 2006 bid for lieutenant governor as evidence that he can’t win statewide.

Vernon Jones, 46, CEO of DeKalb County, has won praise for preserving greenspace, but critics say his personal foibles over the years have overshadowed his accomplishments. Among them: An incident in 1987 when he allegedly waved a gun at a woman; a 2004 allegation that he pushed a DeKalb County commissioner after a budget dispute; and a 2004 accusation of rape by a woman who did not pursue the case. No charges were filed. Jones calls himself a conservative Democrat, but his votes for President Bush in 2000 and 2004 might rankle some primary voters.

The other candidates are Dale Cardwell, 45, a former investigative reporter with WSB-TV in Atlanta; Rand Knight, 36, a former ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service and a private sector environmental scientist who now works in national security technology; and Josh Lanier, 55, who served as a congressional aide and later worked for a number of trade and nonprofit associations.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 12th, 2008 at 12:40 pm and is filed under Georgia, Senate Races. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.