Desperate to put at least one Republican seat in play, Democrats are coalescing behind their chosen candidate, Michelle Nunn, and hoping that Republican zeal will rebound in her favor.

The Democratic field has been virtually cleared for Ms. Nunn, the unassuming, largely unknown daughter of Georgia’s popular former Senator Sam Nunn, a Democrat. This will allow her to play to the center, preach bipartisanship and hope fervently that in their pursuit of conservative votes, her Republican opponents will render themselves toxic to more moderate and independent Georgians. Call it a prayer for a Todd Akin, the Missouri Republican who talked his way out of a Senate seat in 2012.

“I think that’s what this contest will ultimately decide: Where does the majority of Georgians stand?” asked Ms. Nunn in an interview at a downtown Atlanta bakery where she took her sandwich to go.

She continued, “Do they want someone who is going to try and work together to solve problems on behalf of Georgians or do they want someone who is focused on saying they want to stand their ground and will fail to compromise in any fashion?”