Aug. 5 runoff to determine Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate

Published 8:47 pm Saturday, July 26, 2008

DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones and Jim Martin, a former chairman of the state House of Representatives’ Judiciary and Ethics committees, will face off on Aug. 5 to decide the Democratic Party’s nominee for U.S. Senate. The winner will face incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss and Libertarian Party candidate Allen Buckley in November.

Jones came out on top in the party’s five-way July 15 primary with 40.4 percent of the vote. Martin finished second with 34.4 percent. Since no one got more than 50 percent of the vote, state law calls for a runoff.

Locally, Martin finished in first place in Whitfield County, with 41.87 percent of the vote, while Jones took second with 21.5 percent. In Murray County, Martin took first place with 38.58 percent and Jones finished third with 15.84 percent.

Prior to his election as DeKalb CEO, Jones served eight years in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Martin also served as the head of the state’s Department of Human Resources and was the party’s 2006 nominee for lieutenant governor.

Neither Jones nor Martin responded to requests for interviews. But when Martin came to Dalton in June, he said he would like for the government to look at the role that speculators have had on the price of fuel.

“We need to really be aggressive in trying to increase alternative energy,” he said then. “I believe the danger is that Congress will pick one solution to this problem and not allow innovators and scientists to develop new alternatives.”

Martin said ethanol seemed like a good alternative at one time but now it is helping to drive up the cost of food and has other problems.

“We need to talk about drilling, but we need to make sure we protect our coasts,” he said then. “The Democratic Party is concerned about rational development of our national resources.”

On his Web site (www.vernonjonesforgeorgia.com), Jones says he is concerned about the United States’ dependence on foreign oil.

“As the greatest country in the world, we should not have to rely on other countries, especially those in volatile parts of the world, to supply one of our most basic needs. That is why I support the development of a long-term energy independence strategy that includes alternative fuel innovation,” he said. “Whether its capturing methane gas emissions from landfills as done in DeKalb County, the use of corn-based ethanol, hydrogen powered or battery operated, the solution is out there.”

Martin (www.martinforsenate.com) said in June that Congress and the president should make the decision that American forces are going to leave Iraq. But he said military commanders on the ground should make the decisions about how and how quickly that can be done.

“Frankly, I believe the military commanders will move us out more quickly than the politicians,” he said.

On his Web site, Jones says the responsibility for Iraq must be shifted to the Iraqi people and government.

“The answer to this war is not solely a military one. There have to be diplomatic solutions and I am prepared to provide the leadership to help determine the solution and complete this mission,” he said.