ATLANTA --- Juicing up the economy is a main goal of the candidates running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

They generally agree in wanting to lower taxes on the middle class, reduce spending on the Iraq war and increase business innovation. They disagree, though, on other recommendations.

The candidates hoping to face Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Libertarian Allen Buckley in November are Vernon Jones, Dale Cardwell, Josh Lanier, Jim Martin and Rand Knight.

All the campaigns were contacted, but Mr. Jones' did not respond by Friday deadline.

Mr. Cardwell mentioned extending unemployment benefits to 12 months and ensuring that every worker gets paid extra for overtime.

He also said U.S. companies are being harmed by trade with countries whose labor and environmental regulations are less extensive.

"We are trading with countries that do not have wage laws or environmental laws," Mr. Cardwell said. "We're trading with them with one hand behind our backs."

Mr. Martin would impose stiffer regulation of banks and credit-card companies. He would also increase education spending.

"The federal government can help by providing early childhood education for children who need help, by supporting school systems in their efforts to achieve excellence, and by expanding federal loan programs to ensure that cost is not a barrier to higher education," he said.

All of the candidates favor ways to increase commercial innovation as a way to create jobs.

Mr. Knight would do it by subsidizing plants that create fuel from pine, predicting that a dozen could be operating across Georgia within a year that would create 80,000 jobs.

He says the result would have the state exporting excess fuel which would lower the price for consumers.

Mr. Lanier would instead lower or eliminate the capital-gains tax on start-up ventures if the investments are held for five years.

The candidates agreed that cutting taxes created more jobs than raising them, but beyond that they have different views on tax policy.

Mr. Cardwell and Mr. Knight called for raising taxes for Social Security by eliminating the cap on taxable earnings, and neither would raise benefits for those high-wage taxpayers to reflect the change.

Mr. Knight, Mr. Cardwell and Mr. Lanier said they would let President Bush's tax cuts on higher incomes and large estates expire.