Dec. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss won a second term and blocked Democrats from gaining a 60-seat Senate majority by defeating challenger Jim Martin in a runoff election in Georgia.

Chambliss received 57.4 percent of the vote to 42.6 percent for Martin with 99 percent of the precincts reporting. The runoff was held because neither candidate won at least 50 percent of the votes in the Nov. 4 election.

Chambliss’ victory makes it more difficult for Democrats to stave off Republican filibusters, an attempt to block legislation through endless debate. It takes 60 votes to stop the procedure, meaning Democrats, set to control at least 58 seats when the Senate convenes in January, will need to enlist Republicans to stymie filibusters.

Preventing a 60-seat majority gives Republicans “a shot at shutting Democrats down, or at least getting a seat at the table,” on important legislation, said Jennifer Duffy, a congressional analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report in Washington.

Democrats picked up seven seats in the Nov. 4 elections, giving them 56. Independents Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont support the Democratic majority and usually vote with the party, giving Democrats control of 58 votes, with one race, in Minnesota, still undecided.

The 58-seat majority is the most either party has had in the Senate since 1980.

“Even with 58 or 59 seats, depending on the outcome of Minnesota, Democrats will get a lot of their agenda through, at least in the first few months,” Duffy said.

Minnesota Recount

Minnesota officials are recounting votes in the race between incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken. Coleman leads Franken by 215 votes out more than 2.8 million cast, according to the latest available tally.

In the Georgia election on Nov. 4, Chambliss got 49.8 percent of the vote, just shy of the 50 percent he needed to secure the win. Martin came in second with 46.8 of the vote with Libertarian Allen Buckley taking the remaining 3.4 percent.

Republicans made winning the Chambliss race a priority, spending heavily in the state and sending party headliners including former presidential nominee John McCain and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin to Georgia to campaign for him.

During the Senate campaign, Martin criticized Chambliss for supporting the $700 billion rescue package passed by Congress in October. In recent weeks, Chambliss has said he opposes a bail- out for the automakers unless they commit to restructuring their industry.

To contact the reporters on this story: Christopher Stern in Washington at cstern3@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: December 2, 2008 23:28 EST