Former President Barack Obama plans to commence a 27-day campaign sprint for Vice President Kamala Harris next week in Pennsylvania, an adviser to the Democratic presidential nominee’s campaign said, hoping his star power among Democrats can help propel her to the office he once held.
Openly concerned about Democratic complacency and acutely aware of razor-thin margins in polls, Obama — who, along with his wife, Michelle, is one of the party’s most popular figures — is seeking to help Harris in any way he can, aides have said.
“President Obama believes the stakes of this election could not be more consequential and that is why he is doing everything he can to help elect Vice President Harris, Governor Walz and Democrats across the country,” said Eric Schultz, a senior Obama adviser.
The Thursday rally in Pittsburgh will be the first in a string of events Obama plans to hold across electoral battlegrounds in the weeks ahead of Election Day, according to a senior Harris campaign official.
Aside from rallies, an Obama aide said the former president intends to help Democrats by recording candidate-specific advertisements and lending his name to email solicitations for campaign cash, including for down-ballot races. He headlined a $4 million fundraiser for Harris in Los Angeles last month.
Obama’s office also says he’s cut three ads for Senate candidates: in Michigan, Maryland, and Florida.
The 2024 election, in Obama’s view, is an “all hands on deck” moment, aides have said.
“I wish I could give you a four- or five-point plan as to how we’re going to win this election. Truthfully, the plan is we’re going to push through it,” he said during the California fundraising event, according to excerpts from his office.
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