Clinton Eyeing Georgia in November

According to Hillary Clinton, the road to the White House could run through a blue Georgia.

Speaking with George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week," Clinton said that, if nominated, she intends to run aggressively in the Peach State, which hasn't voted Democratic in a presidential election for nearly two-and-a-half decades.

Clinton was answering a question about the Bernie Sanders camp's argument that many of her Democratic primary victories over the Vermont senator have come in Southern states, where Democrats are unlikely to win in November.

"I don’t know what he was talking about, because last time I looked at a map of the United States, the South was a part of our country, like every other region," she said. "And I’m thrilled to have support -- you know, when you win Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, those are all states that we can put into play in the general election."

The last time Georgia awarded its electoral votes to a Democrat was 1992, when Clinton's husband, Bill, narrowly edged President George H.W. Bush in the state. In the 24 years since, Georgia, like much of the South, has been reliably red.

But bolstered by recent-cycle wins in former GOP strongholds like Virginia and North Carolina, Democrats see signs of life in Georgia.

Despite never really targeting the state, President Barack Obama polled fairly well in Georgia -- losing 52%-47% to Sen. John McCain in 2008 and 53%-45.5% to Mitt Romney in 2012. Romney's Georgia win was his second-closest anywhere, behind only North Carolina.

And shifting demographics in the state could signal a continued tilt to the left.

The state's minority population, already significant, is growing at a rapid clip. Over the last decade, the percentage of black and Hispanic Georgians has risen, pushing the state's minority population from 37% to 44%.

Combine that with a steady influx of residents moving to Atlanta and its suburbs from more liberal states and Dems start seeing a new battleground.

On Sunday, Clinton said she'd also work to support down-ballot candidates in states like Georgia if nominated.

"I particularly want to support Democrats in states that have been voting against Democratic candidates for a while now to rebuild the Democratic Party," she said. "We’re going to try to make Georgia competitive, and we’re going to fight hard in North Carolina and Virginia and Florida."

In Georgia's March 2 primary, Clinton defeated Sanders handily, 71.3% to 28.2%.