Vernon Jones signed up Tuesday to run in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary election this summer. But he sounded more like a Republican candidate.

"The Democratic Party loves to recruit losers," Jones told reporters at a state Capitol press conference.

Jones dismissed Democratic primary opponent Jim Martin "too liberal for Georgia."

Of Dale Cardwell, another Democratic opponent, Jones said the election "isn't about Dale Cardwell, this is about people losing their homes."

Jones is currently DeKalb County's chief executive officer. Martin, is a former state lawmaker and state Department of Human Resources chief. Cardwell is a former WSB-TV reporter. All are vying for the seat held by incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a Republican Moultrie.

Chambliss isn't the only incumbent facing a challenge.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon has faced a GOP challenger in all three of his previous campaigns of Congress. This time, Marshall has a Democrat running against him too.

So do Democratic Reps. John Barrow of Savannah and David Scott of Atlanta, who qualified to run for re-election on Monday. State Sen. Regina Thomas (D-Savannah) is challenging Barrow and former state Sen. Donzella James, a Democrat from Atlanta, is running against Scott.

Marshall signed up Tuesday to run for a fourth term, a day after Democrat Robert Nowak and Republican Rick Goddard qualified to run against the incumbent.

It's not just Democratic incumbents facing potentially serious challenges this year. Incumbent GOP U.S. Reps. Jack Kingston, John Linder and Tom Price also have challengers.

In 2004, the most recent presidential election year, Kingston, who represents coastal Georgia and Linder, who represents the northern metro Atlanta suburbs, skated back into office with no opposition.

In 2004, Tom Price was GOP state senator from Roswell who bested a field of primary contenders for an open congressional seat. Price won his first term in the U.S. House without Democratic opposition.

Kingston, Linder and Price faced only token Democratic opposition in the 2006 mid-term elections.

It's not clear how financially viable their 2008 Democratic challengers are, or whether their message will play well in GOP leaning districts.But the three Democrats running against Kingston, Linder and Price are military veterans who hope their message will play well with voters unhappy about the Iraq war.

Kingston is being challenged by retired Army Lt. Col. Bill Gillespie of Tybee Island. Retired Air Force pilot Bill Jones of Marietta qualified Monday to run against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Roswell. Norcross resident Doug Heckman, a retired U.S. Army colonel and senior advisor to the Iraqi army, is challenging Linder.

Saxby Chambliss (R), Moultrie (incumbent)

Jim Martin (D), Atlanta

Vernon Jones (D) DeKalb County

Jack Kingston (R), Savannah (incumbent)

Bill Gillespie (D), Tybee Island

District 2

Sanford Bishop (D), Columbus (incumbent)

Lee Ferrell (R), Albany

District 3

Lynn Westmoreland (R), (incumbent)

District 4

Hank Johnson (D), Decatur (incumbent)

District 5

John Lewis (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 6

Tom Price (R), Roswell (incumbent)

Bill Jones (D), Marietta

District 7

John Linder (R), Duluth (incumbent)

Doug Heckman (D), Norcross

District 8

Jim Marshall (D), Macon (incumbent)

Robert Nowak (D), Macon

Rick Goddard (R), Warner Robins

District 9

Nathan Deal (R) Gainesville (incumbent)

Paul Broun (R), Athens (incumbent)

Barry Fleming (R), Augusta

Bobby Saxon (D), Nicholson

District 12

John Barrow (D), Savannah (incumbent)

Regina Thomas (D), Savannah

John Stone (R), Hephzibah

District 13

David Scott (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

Donzella James (D), Atlanta

Deborah Honeycutt (R), Riverdale

Public Service Commission

District 4

Lauren "Bubba" McDonald (R), Clarksville

District 1

Doug Everett (R), Atlanta (incumbent)

Rick Collum (R), Moultrie

Georgia Senate

Curt Thompson (D), Norcross (incumbent)

District 6

Doug Stoner (D), Smyrna (incumbent)

District 10

Emanuel Jones (D), Decatur (incumbent)

District 32

Judson Hill (R), Marietta (incumbent)

District 33

Steve Thompson (D), Marietta (incumbent)

District 34

Valencia Seay (D), Riverdale (incumbent)

District 35

Kasim Reed (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 36

Nan Orrock (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 37

John J. Wiles (R), Kennesaw (incumbent)

District 38

Horacena Tate (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 39

Vincent Fort (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 40

Dan Weber (R), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 41

Steve Henson (D), Tucker (incumbent)

District 42

David Adelman (D), Decatur (incumbent)

District 43

Ronald B. Ramsey, Sr. (D), Decatur (incumbent)

District 45

Renee S. Unterman (R), Buford (incumbent)

District 48

David Shafer (R), Duluth (incumbent)

District 55

Gloria Butler (D), Stone Mountain (incumbent)

District 56

Dan Moody (R), Alpharetta (incumbent)

Akhtar Sadiq (D), Roswell

Georgia House

District 32

Judy Manning (R), Marietta (incumbent)

District 33

Don Wix (D), Mableton (incumbent)

District 34

Rich Golick (R), Smyrna (incumbent)

District 36

Earl Ehrhart (R), Powder Springs (incumbent)

District 37

Terry Johnson (D), Marietta (incumbent)

District 38

Steve "Thunder" Tumlin (R), Marietta (incumbent)

District 39

Alisha Thomas Morgan (D), Austell (incumbent)

District 40

Rob Teilhet (D), Smyrna (incumbent)

District 41

Sharon Cooper (R), Marietta (incumbent)

District 42

Don L. Parsons (R), Marietta (incumbent)

District 43

Bobby Franklin (R), Marietta (incumbent)

District 44

Sheila Jones (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

Steven D. Lee (D), Atlanta

District 45

Matt Dollar (R), Marietta (incumbent)

RuthE Levy (D), Marietta

District 46

Jan Jones (R), Milton (incumbent)

District 47

Chuck Martin (R), (incumbent)

Tony Patel (D), Alpharetta

District 48

Harry Geisinger (R), Roswell (incumbent)

District 49

Wendell Willard (R), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 50

Mark Burkhalter (R), Alpharetta (incumbent)

District 51

Tom Rice (R), Norcross (incumbent)

District 52

Joe Wilkinson (R), Sandy Springs (incumbent)

Chris Cameron (D), Atlanta

District 54

Edward Lindsey (R), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 55

Joel Alvarado (D), Atlanta

District 56

Kathy Ashe (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 58

Robbin Shipp (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 59

Margaret D Kaiser (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 60

Georganna Sinkfield (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 61

Ralph Long, III (D), Atlanta

Tony M.L. McCann (D), Atlanta

Keisha Waites (D), Atlanta

District 62

Joe Heckstall (D), East Point (incumbent)

District 63

Tyrone Brooks (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 64

Roger Bruce (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 65

Sharon Beasley-Teague (D), Red Oak (incumbent)

Sandra B. Hardy (D), Fairburn

Woody Holmes (D), Fairburn

Charles Sharper (D), Atlanta

District 77

Darryl Jordan (D), Riverdale (incumbent)

District 79

Fran Millar (R), Dunwoody (incumbent)

District 80

Mike Jacobs (R), Atlanta (incumbent)

Keith Gross (D), Atlanta

District 81

Cecillia Hailey (D), Atlanta

District 82

Kevin Levitas (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 83

Mary Margaret Oliver (D), Decatur (incumbent)

District 84

Stacey Abrams (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 85

Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 86

Karla Drenner (D), Avondale (incumbent)

District 87

Michele Henson (D), Stone Mountain (incumbent)

District 88

Billy Mitchell (D), Stone Mountain (incumbent)

District 89

Earnest "Coach" Williams (D), Avondale (incumbent)

District 90

Howard Mosby (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

District 91

Rahn Mayo (D), Decatur

Rita Robinzine (D), Ellenwood

Byron Wilson (D), Ellenwood

District 92

Pam S. Stephenson (D), Lithonia (incumbent)

District 93

Malik Douglas (D), Lithonia

Jim Sendelbach (D), Conyers

District 94

Randal Mangham (D), Decatur (incumbent)

Andrew Bostic (D), Lithonia

District 95

George Wilson (D), Stone Mountain

District 96

Pedro "Pete" Marin (D), Duluth (incumbent)

District 97

Brooks Coleman (R), Duluth (incumbent)

District 98

Bobby Reese (R), Sugar Hill (incumbent)

David Hancock (R), Suwanee

District 99

Hugh Floyd (D), Norcross (incumbent)

District 100

Brian Thomas (D), Lilburn (incumbent)

District 101

Michael T. (Mike) Coan (R), Lawrenceville (incumbent)

District 102

Clay Cox (R), Lilburn (incumbent)

District 104

John Heard (R), Lawrenceville (incumbent)

District 105

Donna Sheldon (R), Dacula (incumbent)

District 106

Melvin Everson (R), Snellville (incumbent)

Metro Atlanta District Attorneys

Paul Howard (D), Atlanta (incumbent)

Clayton Circuit

Jewel Scott (D), Jonesboro (incumbent)

Cobb Circuit

Pat Head (R), Marietta (incumbent)

Gwinnett Circuit

Daniel J. "Danny" Porter (R), Lawrenceville (incumbent)

Stone Mountain Circuit

Gwen Keyes Fleming (D), Lithonia (incumbent)