Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina Bring Campaigns To Atlanta

Kerwin Swint, political scientist at Kennesaw State University, says the presidential race, and the candidates’ frequent visits, could influence Georgia legislators in next year’s sessions.

“There may be more emphasis put on some of the things going on in the news now, like gun control for example,” he said.

In the wake of the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, both Carson and Fiorina have remained spoken in defense of gun rights.

“Gun issues are always a big item in the Georgia legislature, so you may see some media coverage and some heat around that particular issue,” he said.

Swint says he expects both candidates will discuss gun rights and terrorism on Tuesday.

Ahead of her visit, Fiorina’s campaign unveiled a list of 33 endorsements from Georgia politicians and executives.

Swint says endorsements don’t mean a lot.

“They’re hard to transfer into votes a lot of times so sometimes, you know, they’re just not that consequential,” he said.

Some political experts disagree with Swint, but not Ben Carson’s campaign.

A recent report from the Atlantic magazine quotes his manager as saying they haven’t gotten a single endorsement, and they don’t care.