Chambliss, Martin Could Face Runoff for Georgia Senate Seat

In Georgia, the race for the U.S. Senate isn’t quite settled, the Associated Press reports.

The state requires that a candidate receive a majority of 50 percent-plus one of the votes cast, and with all but one percent of precincts reporting, Chambliss has 49.8 percent of the vote, AP said. Jim Martin, the Democratic challenger, had 46.8 percent of the vote, according to unofficial returns, while the Libertarian candidate, Allen Buckley, had 3.4 percent.

A statement issued Wednesday from Georgia’s Secretary of State, Karen Handel, said election officials in each county will count absentee ballots from people overseas and in the military through the end of the week. Officials also have to resolve any disputed ballot issues.

“Once counties complete their certifications, the Secretary of State will certify the statewide results. Any run-offs will be announced upon certification, which should occur sometime next week,” the statement said. 

If a runoff is necessary, it would be on Dec. 2, between Martin and Chambliss.
Chambliss, who is running for a second term, was among Republicans who were facing close races, according to findingDulcinea.

Saxby Chambliss

Chambliss was elected to the Senate in 2002 after being elected to the House in the 1994 Republican revolution. He is a lawyer who earned his legal degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law after graduating from the University of Georgia.

Jim Martin

Martin grew up in Georgia, and studied at the University of Georgia. He is an Army veteran and a lawyer, and also spent 18 years in the Georgia State House. He was also head of the state’s Department of Human Resources.