Texas senator and Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz visits Kennesaw on Friday, part of a quick swing through eight Southern states in seven days. His campaign calls it a "Southern firewall strategy."

"What he means by that is the place where he can really secure a strong position to become the Republican nominee is on the March 1st SEC Primary date," says GPB's Bill Nigut. That's when Georgia and six other Southern states will hold their presidential nominating contests. "Southerners may very will embrace his policies and his philosophy," Nigut tells GPB's Bradley George.

The two also discuss Secretary of State Brian Kemp's report on the release of voter data, a split among powerful Republicans on the issue of merit pay for teachers, and an investigation of former Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine.

Join Bill Nigut and his panel for a discussion of the week's political news on Political Rewind, Friday afternoons at 3 on your GPB radio station.

Tags: Ted Cruz, presidential election 2016