The Atlanta-Journal Constitution continues a series of profiles on Georgians who volunteer for presidential candidates. Today we look at campaign workers for the three front-running Republicans -- Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who are leading in the polls. Read about recently featured volunteers for Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Trump campaign volunteers in Georgia scramble to get the vote out
Jermane Enoch likes to fire up his fellow volunteers at the Georgia campaign headquarters for Donald Trump.
A 56-year-old veteran of political campaigns, Enoch giddily weaves through the Republican presidential candidate’s office in east Cobb County, asking the group how they are doing, dispensing advice and cheering them on.
“I really like the energy,” Enoch, a trainer for the campaign, said recently as he surveyed a humming room of volunteers. Then — raising his hands in the air — Enoch enthusiastically recited a Trump campaign slogan: “We are going to make America great again!”
Jason Anavitarte sees so much of himself in Marco Rubio. They’re both Hispanic. They both courted public office at a young age. They both believe in a conservative America.
The two Republicans shared all that when Anavitarte met Rubio a year ago in Atlanta. They only talked for 15 minutes, but Anavitarte experienced that magic moment common to so many campaign volunteers, when belief in a candidate rises to something approaching a shared sense of destiny.
“Our stories were so similar,” Anavitarte said. “I wanted to get this guy elected president.”
A middle-aged African-American man entered the vestibule of the Fayette County GOP office late on the morning of President’s Day. Next door, the Georgia phone bank for the Ted Cruz campaign was crackling to life.
So, when the man poked his head in the Cruz office to softly ask for help finding information about Donald Trump, Denise Ognio - perhaps the most enthusiastic Cruz supporter in Fayette County - saw an opportunity for conversion.
“No, no. Come on over here. We want you to be for Cruz,” Ognio, 58, said.
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