ATLANTA - Jim Martin, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, is in a statistical dead heat with Casey Cagle, his Republican opponent, according to a new statewide poll released today by Martin’s campaign.

In the first three-way trial heat conducted in the race, Martin and Cagle are separated by only 4 points, which is within the poll’s margin of error. According to the poll, Cagle draws support from 38 percent of voters to Martin’s 34 percent, while Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley receives 5 percent and 23 percent of voters are presently undecided.

More significantly, while Cagle enjoys greater name recognition after a high-profile primary battle against Ralph Reed - with name recognition of 53 percent to Martin’s 39 percent - Martin is more highly regarded among voters who recognize him than is Cagle.

Of those voters familiar with him, 46 percent have a favorable impression of Martin while just 11 percent have a negative impression. By comparison, only 41 percent of those voters familiar with Cagle view him favorably, while 14 percent give him negative marks.

Among voters who recognize both candidates, Martin leads Cagle by a 44 percent to 39 percent margin.

Cooper & Secrest Associates, a top Democratic polling firm, conducted the poll of 806 likely general election voters during late August and early September. The poll’s margin of error is plus-or-minus 3.5 percent.

With less than two months remaining before November’s general election, this new poll indicates that Martin is in a highly competitive race with Cagle to succeed Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor, who is running for governor.

A Vietnam veteran and church elder, Martin served for nearly two decades in the Georgia House of Representatives, chairing the Judiciary and Ethics Committees and authoring over 60 laws. Martin later led the Department of Human Resources under governors Roy Barnes and Sonny Perdue.

He and Joan, his wife of 36 years, have four children and two grandchildren.