Georgia's Hotly Contested Senate Race: Who Wins?

Slightly more than six weeks until the May 20 primary, the battle to fill Georgia’s open U.S. Senate seat is heating up.

With U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) not seeking re-election, the GOP contenders, as well as Democratic frontrunner Michelle Nunn, have begun filling the airwaves with ads.

Among the Republicans, the leading contenders include U.S. Reps. Paul Broun of Athens, Jack Kingston of Savannah, and Phil Gingrey of Marietta, along with former Secretary of State Karen Handel and former Dollar General CEO David Perdue.

Art Gardner and Derrick Grayson are also in the GOP running, while businessman Eugene Yu recently withdrew from the race.

Many political watchers are expecting a GOP runoff in July, as no true frontrunner has emerged. A recent SurveyUSA poll showed Perdue with 29 percent of the support, followed by Kingston (19%), Gingrey (12), Broun (11) and Handel (10). 

Another poll from Public Policy Polling showed Broun leading at 27 percent, followed by Gingrey (14), Kingston (13), Perdue (12) and Handel (9). The poll included only people who considered themselves Republican primary voters.

The left-leaning poll also showed that in a head-to-head, Nunn, who is facing fellow Democrats Steen Miles, Branko "Rad" Radulovacki and Todd Anthony Robinson in the primary, would be deadlocked with Broun at 38 percent. While a race between Perdue was not one of the choices offered in the poll, the results showed Nunn would hold slight advantages over Kingston, Handel and Gingrey.

As the campaign heats up, Perdue made an off-the-cuff comment recently about Handel only having a high school degree, while Handel welcomed in former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who campaigned on behalf of Handel south of Atlanta this past week.

On Friday, Kingston released an ad that includes audio of an Obama impersonator asking Kingston to stop trying to repeal the president's national health care law.

"Kingston, this is the president. You've got to back off Obamacare," the fake Obama says in the ad while photos of the president appear on the screen.

"Kingston, let me be clear: I do not want you in the Senate. Call me back, Kingston, please," the fake Obama concludes.

Kingston then appears on screen and states, "A call to stop fighting Obamacare is one call I'll never answer."

Nunn released her her first ad on Thursday, and it featured former President George H.W. Bush. Nunn is the CEO of the Points of Light foundation, the nonprofit that the Republican Bush founded.