More details released about Cruz rally in Perry on Saturday

Doors will open at 2 p.m. Saturday for the Ted Cruz presidential campaign rally in Perry, and organizers are asking those who plan to attend to register beforehand.

The Cruz to Victory Rally will be held in the Miller-Murphy-Howard Building at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter beginning at 3 p.m., which is a half-hour earlier than organizers originally said. Parking will be in front of the building at the west gate entrance.

To register for the free event, go to: bit.ly/1oEBaWV.

Cruz will attend an earlier rally in Atlanta that's scheduled to end at 1 p.m., then fly in to the Perry airport, campaign staffer David Sawyer said. Former U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, who lost a 2014 bid for U.S. Senate to David Perdue, is scheduled to campaign for Cruz in Perry.

The rally comes just three days before Super Tuesday's voting bonanza in 11 states that could all but determine the GOP nomination.

Although organizers prefer that people register for the event, they won't be turned away if they don't do so, said Donna Sant, co-chairwoman of the Cruz campaign in Houston County.

"We want to get a head count. We want to make sure we're not going over" the building's capacity limit, she said, "... but it would be nice if we did."

The building will seat about 500 people for the event, and there will be room for another 500 or so to stand, said Stacy Campbell, spokeswoman for the fairgrounds.

Those traveling to Perry on Interstate 75 can get off at exits 134 or 135.

Once there, people will need to check in at tables before entering the building.

"It will be a simple process," Sant said.

Secret Service agents will be on hand, as will officers from the Perry Police Department and the Houston County Sheriff's Office.

Sant said she did not expect there to be security checks on the grounds, such as hand-held wands.

As for Cruz's performance during the latest GOP debate Thursday night, Sant said she thought Cruz "did a great job."

"I think he said some things that needed to be said -- and he finally said them."

There was plenty of finger pointing during the debate as sparks flew.

For his part, Cruz questioned front-runner Donald Trump's conservative credentials, among other barbs, and said that Trump had once had to pay a $1 million fine for his hiring of illegal immigrants.

He also said Trump would not be an effective opponent against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in November's general election.

Trump campaigned in Macon in November.

To contact writer Oby Brown, call 744-4396 and find him on Twitter@obybrownGA.

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 4:37 PM with the headline "More details released about Cruz rally in Perry on Saturday ."