Jim Martin

James Francis Martin (born August 22, 1945) is an American politician and former member of the Georgia General Assembly. A member of the Democratic Party, Martin opposed incumbent U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss in the 2008 election. In the general election, no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, forcing a run-off election on December 2, 2008, which Martin subsequently lost. Early life, education, and military service Martin was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in a family of six boys. As a child he contracted polio. In 1963, after graduating from Atlanta's public school system, he enrolled at the University of Georgia, where he was elected freshman class president. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity at the University of Georgia as was his political opponent Senator Saxby Chambliss. After earning his bachelor's and J.D. degrees at Georgia, he entered the U.S. Army and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam. After his return from the war, Martin re-enrolled at the University of Georgia and earned an LL.M. degree, subsequently working as a private attorney and as assistant legislative counsel to the Georgia General Assembly. In 1980, he earned an M.B.A. from Georgia State University.