Trump, Kasich plan campaign visits to metro Atlanta

With Georgia’s March 1 primary around the corner, the latest round in a surge of likely candidate visits is taking shape.

Republican front-runner Donald Trump’s campaign said it would return to Atlanta on Sunday in what’s likely his first campaign stop after the South Carolina GOP primary.

The billionaire developer picked a massive venue for his 4 p.m. speech: an exhibit hall at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta with seating for 10,000.

Polls show Trump with a commanding lead in South Carolina, and he's hoping the momentum will carry him to strong performances in Georgia and the sweep of other Southern states voting March 1 in the SEC primary.

In addition, Ohio Gov. John Kasich will hold a town hall event at noon Tuesday at Kennesaw State University and will likely address the Georgia House as well.

Kasich would be the first presidential candidate this year to take advantage of Speaker David Ralston's policy that any candidate who visits Georgia is welcome to address the House. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush came in 2015 — and was almost upstaged when rapper Ludacris also visited the Capitol that day.

Kasich's planned appearance presumes he survives this weekend's South Carolina Republican primary, where polls show him running anywhere from third to fifth.