November 12, 2008 - 1:24 pm — Leans Republican — #3
Chambliss collected more votes than Martin, but failed to get the 50 percent needed to avoid a run-off. The run-off will be on Dec. 2.

October 24, 2008 - 11:51 am — Toss up — #2

CHANGE FROM LEANS REPUBLICAN TO TOSSUP

While polls suggested that this race has been a tossup for some time The Pindell Report relied on the Republican advantage here for Chambliss and the fact he is running with McCain who is winning here. But the early voting numbers suggesting that African-American turnout is highly out-pacing previous years makes this race definately a tossup. The old rules of Georgia may not apply. 

October 20, 2008 - 4:38 pm — Leans Republican — #4
If Saxby Chambliss loses, stick a fork in the Republicans -- his defeat would be a harbinger of upsets throughout the country. 

October 16, 2008 - 11:55 am — Toss up — #1
The Atlanta Journal Constitution notes that the U.S. Senate race is now being considered as a tossup state by Pollster.com, giving Chambliss a lead of just 1.4 percent.

"In an election night that promises surprises, this one would be one of the biggest," the story says.

October 14, 2008 - 10:13 am — Toss up — #1
A poll released on Friday by InsiderAdvantage/Poll Position puts Chambliss and Martin at a tie, with 45 percent of the vote. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percent.

October 10, 2008 - 11:04 am — Leans Republican — #6
A new Rasmussen Reports poll has Chambliss leading 50 percent to 44 percent.

October 7, 2008 - 10:57 am — Leans Republican — #10
During a quick campaign stop at the Columbus Public Library, Martin told a small group of veterans that he would prioritize taking care of soldiers if he beats Chambliss in November.

September 18, 2008 - 4:06 pm — Leans Republican — #5

A new poll today takes the wind out of Martin's sails. 

The Survey USA poll gives Chambliss a 53 percent to 36 percent lead. There hasn't been a great deal of polling in this race to test if this is an outlier. The previous number of polls in August showed this race in the single digits. 

September 16, 2008 - 1:05 pm — Leans Republican — #5
A new ad from Martin seeks to align Chambliss with the Bush administration, according to the Ledger-Enquirer. The ad calls for the need for change, and cites Chambliss' continued support of Bush's economic policies as the core reason why.

September 11, 2008 - 1:49 pm — Leans Republican — #5

In Martin's first advertisement, he is using the words of Max Cleland -- the man Chambliss beat back in 2002 -- to tout his war experience as being valuable to the Senate.

"In times like these, we need people in Washington who've served their country," Cleland said. "Jim Martin served with distinction as an Army officer in Vietnam, and he'll do the same thing in the U.S. Senate."

 The full story by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the ad, can be viewed here.

September 1, 2008 - 11:28 am — Leans Republican — #5
Chambliss launched his fall ad campaign. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chambliss's campaign has reserved $5.2 million in ad time through Election Day.

August 15, 2008 - 4:05 pm — Safe Republican — #15

MSNBC reports that Martin finds himself wading into a general election that will require all of the top-of-the-ticket momentum Barack Obama can provide. Martin, with his already-limited campaign treasury further depleted by the prolonged primary, might need a perfect storm to pull off an upset and offset Chambliss' money and name recognition.

August 13, 2008 - 11:01 am — Safe Republican — #15
A Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee poll released Aug. 12 shows that Martin trailing Chambliss by 6 points, 42 percent to 36 percent. The poll also shows that 37 percent of likely voters say that Chambliss is doing a good or excellent job as a U.S. senator.

August 11, 2008 - 3:28 pm — Safe Republican — #15
A recently launched ad by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee against Chambliss targets how much money he has received from oil interests, according to a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

August 7, 2008 - 2:08 pm — Safe Republican — #15

Shortly after Martin was selected as the Democratic Party's nominee to take on Chambliss on Aug. 5, the incumbent Republican senator didn't waste any time in slinging the first barb at Martin hours after his party selected him to try and take down the incumbent senator this fall.

"He's a [U.S. Sen.] Chuck Schumer hand-picked guy," Chambliss said at a press conference, referring the the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "And there's no more liberal member of the U.S. Senate than Chuck Schumer."

Martin was quick to retort with the idea that Chambliss is on the side of big business and President Bush.

August 6, 2008 - 1:47 am
After beating DeKalb County Chief Executive Vernon Jones in the Aug. 5 Democratic primary run-off election, Martin will face off against Chambliss, the incumbent Republican, and Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley in the November general election. In the Aug. 5 run-off, Martin secured about 60 percent of the vote over Jones' 40 percent, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

July 17, 2008 - 1:49 pm
After finishing first and second in Tuesday's primary, Vernon Jones and Jim Martin now face a three week run-off primary on Aug. 5.