August 12, 2008

For Immediate Release

MARTIN SURGES IN NEW POLL

Chambliss One of the Most Vulnerable Senators in the Country, Martin Trails by Only Six Points

Atlanta - New polling released today shows Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Jim Martin trailing incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss by only six points, 36% to Chambliss's 42%. Conducted by the Mellman Group, the poll shows Chambliss to have negative job ratings among voters and an environment in which only 21% of Georgians believe things are on the right track.

For an incumbent, garnering the support of less than 50% of likely voters is considered a sign of vulnerability. But at 42%, Chambliss now vaults to the top tier of vulnerable incumbent U.S. Senators this year. In other races around the country that are currently considered highly competitive, such as Oregon, North Carolina, Maine, and Kentucky, recent polling shows the Republican incumbents faring far better than Chambliss's 42% and their Democratic challengers further behind than Martin's 6-point gap.

"If Chambliss had done a better job standing up for Georgia families, he wouldn't be in this position," said Campaign Manager Ellery Gould. "Instead, he's become a Washington politician, supporting the economic policies that have gotten us into the mess we're in now.

"Jim Martin is in a strong position because he's offering a real alternative: taking away tax breaks for oil companies, standing up to special interests, controlling spending in Washington, and fighting to make the economy work for the middle class again."

The poll of 600 likely general election voters was conducted from August 6 to August 10, 2008 and has a margin of error of +/- 4%. More information on the poll can be found here: http://www.martinforsenate.com/MartinPollMemo8.12.pdf.

A veteran and church elder, Martin served with distinction for nearly two decades in the Georgia House of Representatives. Martin later led the Department of Human Resources under Gov. Roy Barnes and Gov. Sonny Perdue. He and Joan, his wife of 38 years, have four children and three grandchildren. He is running for Senate to continue his long record of standing up for Georgia families, and to fight for change in Washington.

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