Trump visit to cap political rush
♦ The Democratic Party says there’s potential for “another significant candidate” to make an appearance locally on Sunday.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to fly in to Rome’s airport on Sunday evening, potentially wrapping up what has been a flurry of political activity in Floyd County just before Election Day on Tuesday.
Last weekend, Democratic candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock came to Rome to rally the troops around his bid for the U.S. Senate and so far this week we’ve seen one of the GOP contenders for that same seat, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, in town.
Warnock and Collins, alongside Sen. Kelly Loeffler, are running in a crowded 21-candidate race which seems to be destined for a runoff. Warnock has led in the polls with Loeffler and Collins running neck and neck. If no candidate garners more than 50% of the vote, the two top finishers will compete in a runoff on Jan. 5, 2021.
Saturday morning at 8 a.m., Loeffler is set to visit the Floyd
County Republican Party headquarters on Broad Street.
Sen. David Perdue stopped at the same GOP headquarters Friday for a short speech accompanied by his cousin, and former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue. Sen. Perdue is challenged by Democratic Party candidate Jon Ossoff — and polls show the race in a dead heat.
Many, if not all the Republican Party candidates will be back in town Sunday evening for the president’s visit. The local rally will likely be the fourth of five stops Trump will have made that day. He is also scheduled to be in Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina and ending the day in Florida at an 11:30 p.m. rally on Sunday.
When Trump arrives to deliver his address to supporters, scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Sunday, it may be the first instance that a sitting U.S. President has visited Floyd County for a political event.
This kind of interest is heartening, said local GOP chair Luke Martin.
“It shows how important the people of Northwest Georgia are to Republican candidates,” he said. “I’m happy the candidates don’t take our votes for granted and that they appreciate all the work we have been doing to get them elected.”
The Floyd County Democratic Party also has plans for Sunday, and there’s a potential there’s more in the works.
“It’s fascinating that Rome has become a player in this election,” Floyd County Democratic Party Chair Ruth Demeter said. “It speaks to the changing dynamics in the state.
As of Friday evening, their firm plan is to assemble in front of City Hall on Sunday from 1 p. m. to 4 p. m. as well as sign waving in central Rome on Saturday.
But that plan may change, and Demeter said there is the potential for “another significant candidate” to make an appearance. She said nothing had been confirmed but — similar to the plans for Trump’s visit over the past two days — things could change.
Coincidentally, an advisory sent out by the Joe Biden campaign stated his pick for vice president, Kamala Harris, will be campaigning in Georgia on Sunday — although it did not spec
ify where — as well as two locations in North Carolina.
Regardless, Demeter said the massive turnout for early voting and the political ac
tivity amid competition for Georgia is exciting.
“It’s amazing to see that we have a lively democracy,” Demeter said.