U.S. Senate candidate Vernon Jones turned up the volume in his race against fellow Democrat Jim Martin on Monday, accusing Martin of incompetently running the state Department of Human Resources, squandering taxpayer money to defend an accused killer and lying about his endorsements.

The DeKalb CEO said that the media have given Martin a "free ride," and vowed to highlight Martin's record in the weeks leading to the Aug. 5 runoff.

"He has a failed record of accomplishment," Jones told reporters at an afternoon press conference at his Peachtree Road headquarters in Atlanta. "Jim Martin, while head of DHR, allowed many children to be abused. Some of those children died."

Martin's campaign disputed Jones' charges and again pointed out that Jones voted for Republican President George W. Bush twice. Jones has said he voted for Bush.

"The difference between the candidates is that Jim wants to reverse George Bush's failed economic policies, and Vernon Jones is a George Bush supporter," Martin said in a statement issued by his spokesman Ellery Gould. "If you're a middle-class Georgian, the choice couldn't be more clear."

Jones' attack on Monday sets the stage for a bitter final phase of the Democratic Party's attempt to choose a candidate to run against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Libertarian Allen Buckley in November.

Gould pointed out that Martin, an 18-year veteran of the state Legislature, became DHR chief two weeks after 9/11, when the state's economy went into a tailspin.

"He was able to reduce the budget there, while still delivering essential services," Gould said. "Under Jim's tenure at DHR, there was no higher priority than children, and he's proud of his record there."

Martin was ousted from DHR's top post in 2003, after two years at the helm. He resigned following intense criticism of the agency after the deaths of two metro Atlanta toddlers who had been in state care.

Jones also said Martin was part of the public defender's office that has spent millions in the run-up to the trial for accused courthouse killer Brian Nichols.

"He squandered taxpayers' dollars defending Brian Nichols," Jones said.

Martin, who was chief legal officer of Georgia's public defender system from January 2004 until May 2005, left that office before most of those expenses occurred, Gould said.

Jones also said Martin "flat-out lied" about endorsements after the initial phase of five-man Senate primary fight concluded last week. Martin sent out a press release saying former candidates Dale Cardwell, Rand Knight and Josh Lanier had endorsed him.

Lanier has not, and Martin's campaign said his name was included by mistake.