Donald Trump’s presidential campaign announced a wave of new hires Tuesday in a number of Southern states where the Republican front-runner is seeking to widen his support among voters.
With ground operations up-and-running in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the New York businessman, who maintains the No. 1 spot in the Washington Examiner‘s presidential power rankings, is turning his attention to three important primary states scheduled to participate in “Super Tuesday” next March: Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee.
Trump currently leads his Republican opponents by a significant margin in Georgia, with the latest state poll showing him at 34 percent support among GOP primary voters. He announced Tuesday that Seth Weathers, a long-time consultant and president of a local marketing and advertising firm, will continue to grow support for Trump as director of the billionaire’s campaign in Georgia.
Over 47 percent of GOP voters in the Peach State supported former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in Georgia’s most recent Republican presidential primary, according to election data from the 2012 cycle. Gingrich has previously said Trump “could win it all” while urging conservative pundits to take the ex-reality TV host more seriously.
To the north of Georgia, Trump appointed Darren Morris as Tennessee State Director. Morris is a political operative who has reportedly been involved in more than 45 political campaigns, including those of former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. He currently heads a global public affairs and political consulting firm in Nashville.
“It is great to welcome Seth and Darren as we continue to build our team around the country and organize in early states,” Trump said in a statement about the new hires.
“We have received great support in Georgia and Tennessee where my message to create jobs, secure our border, strengthen our military and take care of our vets resonates strongly with voters who are ready to Make America Great Again,” he added.
The real estate mogul has also hired Dena Espenscheid to serve as Field Director in the battleground state of Virginia, where she is expected to use her background in grassroots organizing to bolster support for Trump among independent voters and Tea Party conservatives. As a former project director for the Independent Women’s Forum, Espenscheid built a network of conservative women’s clubs in Virginia and has recently worked to expand grassroots advocacy for conservative principles in Florida.
Trump’s newest campaign hires come less than a week after he delivered a relatively safe performance in the second Republican presidential debate. He is scheduled to visit both South Carolina and Oklahoma later this week while other candidates travel to Washington, D.C., for the arrival of Pope Francis.
