Jackson Progress-Argus | Earlier Georgia U.S. Senate primary could shake up race

ATLANTA – A judge’s order moving up Georgia’s federal primary elections next year pulls into play a closely watched U.S. Senate race to fill the seat of retiring Republican Saxby Chambliss.

#The new schedule means that a likely runoff race would last two months, instead of the current 28 days, giving lesser-known Republican candidates and even Democrats a better chance in solidly Republican Georgia.

#Republicans need to pick up six seats in the 2014 congressional elections to win a majority in the U.S. Senate and cannot afford to lose Chambliss’ seat.

#Georgia’s crowded Republican primary field – with at least half a dozen people expressing interest so far – likely means a long, costly and bruising runoff between the top two vote-getters. This could drain Republican money and benefit Democrats and independents, said Charles Bullock, professor of political science at the University of Georgia.

#”To the extent that one party’s candidates are tearing one another down and the other side gets to sit on the sideline and watch, that candidate is somewhat better off,” he said.

via Jackson Progress-Argus | Earlier Georgia U.S. Senate primary could shake up race.