Dems: Clinton Will Ramp Up Campaign in Georgia

ATLANTA, GA — It's official: Georgia will be a battleground in the upcoming presidential election.

Democratic Party of Georgia officials say they've been informed that Hillary Clinton's campaign plans to expand its spending and operations in the state.

Assuming the move is in earnest, and not an attempt to misdirect Republican Donald Trump's campaign, it puts into play a state that hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since 1992, and in which every statewide elected official is a Republican.

But the news comes on the heels of a spate of recent polls showing Clinton at first in a dead heat, then leading Trump in the Peach State. The most recent showed the Democrat up 7 points among likely Georgia voters.

Democratic Party of Georgia communications director Michael Smith confirmed that state party leaders had conversations with the Clinton campaign on Monday about expanding its investment in the state.

"The DPG looks forward to working with the Clinton campaign over the next 89 days," Smith said Thursday. "Over the last several months, the state party has developed a robust field program to mobilize voters on an unprecedented scale — so we’re ready."

Democratic leaders would not give details on the amount of spending expected in Georgia, or the nature of the planned investment. But it's logical to expect Clinton's television and other advertising to increase in the state, and for organizers, field directors and other staff to be added.

Political analysts have been eyeing changes to the Georgia electorate for a while.

While it has remained a loyal red state in recent elections, vote tallies have grown closer despite a relative lack of spending by national parties in the state.

In 2012, President Barack Obama got more than 45 percent of the vote in Georgia -- compared to 53 percent for Mitt Romney -- without a single campaign stop in the state and with limited advertising and organization.

Analysts look to growing minority populations, which tend to be Democrat friendly, and an influx of voters from other states moving in, particularly in counties in and around Atlanta.

“Numbers don’t lie -- Georgia is a battleground state," said DuBose Porter, chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia. "We're not taking a single vote for granted, and we’re leaving no stone unturned to use this momentum to mobilize voters on an unprecedented scale. All I can say is that I wouldn’t want to be a Republican on November 8th."

Georgia Republicans, meanwhile, predict that any spending by Clinton in the state will be a wasted effort.

"Sending money to the Democrat Party of Georgia to hire some staffers is about the only jobs Hillary will be creating in Georgia," Brandon Phillips, Trump's campaign manager in the state, told WABE. "Georgia will not be in play in November and our campaign is building out an operation to make sure it's not even close."

State GOP spokesman Ryan Mahoney concurred.

"With top notch technology, robust data, and committed grassroots volunteers throughout the state, we are working around the clock to keep Georgia red and secure victory for our Republican candidates," Mahoney said in an email. "Together, we will defeat the Clinton Machine and elect Donald J. Trump as the next President of the United States."

Photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons