ATLANTA (AP) - Former state lawmaker Jim Martin defeated DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones tonight to claim the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.

The runoff win means Martin will face Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss in November.

With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Martin led Jones by a comfortable margin of 60 percent to 40 percent.

Martin crushed Jones on his home turf of DeKalb County by winning 62 percent of the vote to Jones' 38 percent.

Jones was trying to become Georgia's first black U.S. senator.

He wasted no chance to link himself to presumptive Democratic
presidential nominee Barack Obama. But he was hobbled by a pair of
votes for Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004.

Martin entered the race in April at the urging of party leaders
in Washington.

His campaign received financial support from Democratic political action committees.

Jones labeled Martin too liberal for Georgia.

That charge is likely to resurface against Chambliss.

Martin's first bid for statewide office fell short in 2006 when he lost a race for lieutenant governor to Republican Casey Cagle.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)