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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Georgia Lt. Gov. Lester Maddox, angry about an article, burns a copy of The Atlanta Constitution in the state Senate on March 10, 1971, saying the paper did not have the "guts, integrity, manhood or decency" to report the situation accurately. (AJC file)

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Ja’Quon Stembridge, shown here in July at the Henry County Republican Party monthly meeting, recently stepped from his position with the Georgia GOP. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC)

Credit: Jenni Girtman