Republican Sen. Marco Rubio Campaigning In Atlanta
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio is stopping in Atlanta Monday.
MARK J. TERRILL / ASSOCIATED PRESS
The latest stop on the campaign trail for Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio is Atlanta.
He’s visiting the Marriott Buckhead Hotel and Conference Center Monday.
The SEC primary isn’t until March 1, but right now the Republican candidate to beat is Donald Trump.
In last week’s debate Rubio brought up his Hispanic heritage in an effort to separate himself from Trump’s rhetoric on immigration.
Georgia State University political science professor Sarah Allen Gershon says there aren’t many Hispanic Republican primary voters in Georgia or nationwide, so they’re likely not Rubio’s focus. He may be focused on more moderate voters, and those who are thinking beyond the primary.
“If Republican primary voters in Georgia are thinking about which candidate is the most viable in the general election, then they need to think about their stances on issues like immigration,” she said.
That strategy could help him hold a solid position in the crowded Republican primary field.
“He has been able to achieve enough traction in the polls to be on the stage when these debates have been around, which I think is critical to attracting more media coverage in the future,” she said.
She says if Rubio continues to engage with candidates like Trump on the issue of immigration, he’s likely to gain even more media attention.
