ROME — There are only a few true battleground states on the political map, and Donald Trump closed his Saturday rally telling Republicans that he sees Georgia as a must-win for his campaign.

”If we win Georgia, we win the election. Let me put it that way.”

Both parties will battle to win Georgia, which voted Democratic in 2020 for the first time in nearly three decades. But Republicans see a scant path to a White House win without Georgia’s 16 electoral votes.

Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump walks on stage at a campaign rally at Forum River Center in Rome on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

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State Election Board Vice Chair Janice Johnston speaks during an election board meeting at the Capitol in Atlanta on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

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Students line up after school for school buses at Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The school’s principal told teachers not to talk to students about ICE, and teachers and activists are pushing back. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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