Polls closed across Georgia Tuesday as voters selected which Democrat will take on Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss in November.
DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones is facing off against former state lawmaker Jim Martin in what has been bitter three-week runoff race.
Both candidates predict the contest will hinge on turnout, which was sparse across the state.
Just 18 percent of registered voters made it to the polls in July's primary and elections officials say fewer than half of 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.
Jones and Martin were the top vote getters in the five-man Democratic primary three weeks ago. Jones won 40 percent of the vote in that contest and Martin earned 34 percent.
The runoff race has featured a duel over voting histories.
Jones accused Martin of voting against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Martin voted for John Edwards in Georgia's Feb. 5 presidential primary even though the North Carolina Democrat had already withdrawn from the presidential race.
Martin has hammered Jones for voting twice for Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004.
Tuesday's winner will face an uphill climb against Chambliss, who has $4 million in his campaign warchest 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.
"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."He did not commit to specific debates.
Chambliss sent a similar letter to Libertarian Senate candidate Allen Buckley, also on the ballot in November.
Runoffs are also being held Tuesday night in six legislative races. Three of them are incumbents facing challengers.
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(The Associated Press)
