U.S. Senate candidates' final push today

It is the final push for the Georgia U.S. Senate candidates, with the runoff election ahead tomorrow. Democratic challenger Jim Martin spent weekend time in Macon, Savannah and Columbus. While in Columbus, Martin appealed to veterans who live in the area. Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss attended the Georgia-Georgia Tech football game Saturday in Athens--on Sunday, he appeared on Fox News Sunday to make his national case.

Last night, Chambliss welcomed Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to Georgia with private fundraisers in Atlanta. Today, Chambliss and the former vice presidential candidate will hit four cities in Georgia, starting with Augusta this morning. They'll move to Savannah, Perry, and metro Atlanta afterward. For Martin, he’ll campaign with civil rights leaders in two statewide stops today--Augusta and Macon, and then return to Atlanta with a State Capitol rally alongside hip-hop star Ludacris.

Get all the latest with Georgia election news by going to our website: gpb.org/election

Final day for advance voting ahead of runoff

Today is the final day for advance voting in the state for the runoff election. Races to be decided at the polls include the U.S. Senate, Public Service Commission, and Court of Appeals. On Tuesday, yet another high-profile name dropped into Georgia for support of a Senate candidate. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani threw his public support behind Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss. Also announced yesterday, the Chambliss campaign will get a visit from former vice presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She’ll be in Georgia Monday.

McCain call buoys Chambliss rally

Republican presidential nominee John McCain surprised rank & file Georgia Republicans calling into a re-election rally for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss on Saturday.

McCain said he expected the election to be a hard-fought close contest. But he said he and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, "relish the underdog status."

He thanked the Georgia Republicans shouting his name for their enthusiasm, saying it inspired him.

McCain also said his thoughts and prayers are with victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas and encouraged donations to the relief efforts. The call lasted six minutes.

McCain's call came after Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue joked that Democrat Barack Obama was hurting the state's economy by moving paid staff from the state.

(The Associated Press)

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Georgia Republicans back Palin

Peach State Republicans are getting behind Senator John McCain's Vice Presidential pick. They say Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is a strong conservative whose values match up well with Georgia's. They also expressed relief that John McCain didn't pick a more unorthodox running mate that could have upset the core of the party. They dismissed suggestions from Democrats about her relative lack of experience, saying her two-year tenure as Alaska's governor shows she's ready to lead.