DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones (D), who has openly flirted with — but not officially committed to — running against Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) in 2008, held the first fundraiser for his campaign this week.

Jones, who will be term-limited out of his current job at the end of next year, is currently the only Democrat to publicly express interest in the Senate contest.

While Jones, who is black, has characterized himself as a conservative Democrat, his base in metro Atlanta may make his candidacy a hard sell to voters in the rest of the state.

Chambliss defeated then-Sen. Max Cleland (D) in a bitter race in 2002. But the state has trended more and more Republican since that time, and it remains to be seen if a top-tier challenger will emerge this cycle.

— Lauren W. Whittington