Georgia's 2020 Presidential Primary Date Set

ATLANTA -- One day after President Donald Trump officially kicked off his reelection campaign, the Georgia Secretary of State's office has set Tuesday, March 24, 2020, as the state's presidential primary. Several Georgia races, including the presidential election, are seen as battleground contests, including the 6th and 7th congressional races.

Georgia will not be part of Super Tuesday, which traditionally has been held on the first Tuesday in March of a presidential election year.

Amid chants of USA and a sea of red hats and shirts, Trump kicked off his 2020 re-election campaign, not on an escalator like last time, but in Orlando Tuesday night with thousands of supporters at the Amway Center. "We're going to keep making America great again and then we will indeed keep America great," the president told the crowd. "We're going to keep it better than ever before and that is why tonight I stand before you to officially launch my campaign for a second term as president of the United States."

The event opened a few minutes early as Vice President Mike Pence stepped up to the podium first.

"We're here for one reason and one reason only: America needs four more years of President Donald Trump," Pence said. "It's on everybody. Time for round two. The 503-day campaign for America's future starts tonight."

The PBS "News Hour" livestreamed the rally (See the link below.) The president's political opponents held a counter event ahead of the president's remarks called the Win With Love Rally, featuring the Baby Trump balloon, less than a mile away.

More than 20 Democrats, more than half of which have little or no national profile, are running. The biggest names are former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, both of whom have unsuccessfully sought the nation's highest office in the past.

One prominent Georgia Democrat has already bowed out of one 2020 state race is Stacey Abrams, who was widely recruited to run against incumbent U.S. Sen. David Perdue. Abrams, who made history last year with her unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign, has been rumored to be considering a White House run.

More: Stacey Abrams Makes Decision On 2020 U.S. Senate Campaign

A Quinnipiac University telephone poll of 1,279 self-identified registered voters in Florida gave former Biden an advantage over the president in a head-to-head matchup. The poll, released Tuesday, found that Biden would beat the president by a margin of 50 percent to 41 percent if the election were held now. The poll was conducted between June 12 to 17 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percent.

The Quinnipiac poll also gave Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders an edge over the president in a head-to-head matchup by a margin of 48 percent to 42 percent. The university said matchups between Trump and other Democratic contenders were too close to call.

"President Donald Trump trails both former Vice President Joseph Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders in general election matchups and basically ties other leading Democratic challengers," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "While most Florida voters are feeling better financially, President Trump remains underwater with a 44 percent job approval rating and a 51 percent disapproval rating."

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Patch Staff Writer Paul Scicchitano contributed to this report.