Georgians invade New Hampshire, Iowa to stump for presidential candidates

This story was written with Katie Leslie:

Derry, N.H. - Josh Mackey trekked from Atlanta to New Hampshire late Thursday night – just in time for a snowstorm that shuttered businesses and canceled campaign events, even in this winter-hardened state. Mackey spent most of his first day inside a hotel as the snow fell, itching to get outside.

That’s why he was grinning ear-to-ear when he finally arrived at a middle school at dusk on Friday, just in time for a rally for Republican presidential hopeful Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

“It’s absolutely worth it,” Mackey said. “I’ve never been as interested in a presidential candidate as I am now. And I want to play my part.”

Over the next few days, he and a knot of friends who also traveled from Georgia could be dispatched to knock on doors in small New Hampshire towns. They could be assigned to dial up voters from a strip mall south of the capitol. Or they could be tasked with sending postcards reminding supporters elsewhere an election is near.

“We don’t care what it is. We just want to help,” said Seth Millican, another Rubio supporter from Georgia.

They're among a swath of locals — Republicans and Democrats — who aren't waiting until the Peach State gets a chance to vote on March 1 to make their mark in this downright unpredictable election cycle. Georgia volunteers and elected officials alike have fanned out across Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina in recent weeks to stump for their candidates and do whatever it takes to make a difference in the fight for the White House.