Georgia Republicans found themselves face-to-face with three presidential hopefuls on Friday — and more are on the way, giving the state GOP hope that a new standard in presidential politics awaits as Southern states build a regional primary for 2016. “It’s putting us on the map,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, architect of what’s being dubbed the “SEC primary,” a reference to college athletics’ Southeastern Conference. The Republican National Committee allows states to vote in caucuses or primaries as early as March 1, after the first four: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.