The Gathering is a bastion for conservatives seeking a Donald Trump alternative.

Six of his rivals addressed the conference to cheers from hundreds of conservatives and Erick Erickson, the Atlanta event’s organizer, said he hoped not to utter the former president’s name throughout the weekend.

Which helps explain the hush over the room as Brent Buchanan, a pollster with Cygnal, presented a poll of likely Georgia GOP voters commissioned by Gov. Brian Kemp’s PAC.

It showed Trump leading the primary field with 53% of the vote, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (15%), business executive Vivek Ramaswamy (6%) and former Vice President Mike Pence (5%). Others polled within the margin of error.

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Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is the latest Georgia politician to challenge the state's campaign finance laws. He says the laws give rival Lt. Gov. Burt Jones an illegal advantage as they campaign for the Republican nomination for governor. (Jason Getz/AJC).

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