These three deserve your vote today

The nation watches today as Georgians return to the polls to decide three statewide races, the most high-profile of which is the U.S. Senate contest between Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin.

Martin is the better choice. A fighter for the little guy throughout his life, Martin served his country in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and as a state legislator, lawyer and head of the state Department of Human Resources. Throughout his public life he has been known as a workhorse not a showhorse, someone whose first concern was getting the job done well rather than trying to get the credit. When Gov. Sonny Perdue became the state’s first Republican governor in a century, he asked Martin to remain as head of DHR.

In his six years in the U.S. Senate, Chambliss has set a very different course, opposing stricter immigration policies not out of a sense of compassion, but because easy immigration and lax enforcement served the interests of industry. When he fought against reform of farm subsidies that cost taxpayers billions, it wasn’t out of concern for the small family farmer. The reforms championed by President Bush but opposed by Chambliss would have cut payments only to huge corporate farms. Time and again, on issue after issue, Chambliss has taken the side of the powerful and influential over those of the taxpayer and general citizen.

So has Lauren McDonald, who is attempting to regain the Public Service Commission Seat he lost six years ago to GOP reformer Angela Speir. During his time on the commission, McDonald did the bidding of the utility companies, which is why much of his campaign money is pouring in from utility lawyers and employees.

For his comeback, McDonald switched parties and is running as a Republican. But Speir, the Republican now in office, has broken party ranks to support Democrat Jim Powell. She too cites the fact that Powell will not be in the pocket of the utility companies and will speak up for everyday Georgians just as she has.

“It is crucial that people understand how important it is to have an honest representative on the Public Service Commission,” she says. “If Mr. Powell is elected, he may be outnumbered, but his voice will be sorely needed.”

Speir, who chose not to seek re-election, has been a minority voice for the consumers on the PSC, which has the critical role of determining how much money Georgians pay for heat and electricity and how much major utilities like Georgia Power can earn. “If Georgia consumers want to have a voice that is not beholden to the utilities, then I firmly believe that Jim Powell is the best candidate,” she says.

The final statewide race today is between attorneys Sara Doyle and Mike Sheffield for the Georgia Court of Appeals. While both are competent attorneys, Doyle brings an open mind and sharp intellect particularly suited to the role.

All three of these statewide contests are important and worthy of a trip to the polls.

— Jay Bookman and Maureen Downey, for the editorial board (jbookman@ajc,com, mdowney@ajc.com)