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WASHINGTON – Former President Barack Obama is returning to the run trail.
This time, he'll big run rallies for Democrats moving successful battleground states important to the party's effort to support their slim power of Congress during the midterm elections. Republicans lone request 1 nett summation during the midterms to retake control of the 50-50 Senate, and Democrats person an 8 spot vantage successful the House.
Obama remains a fashionable fig among his enactment and is simply a invited boost to Democrats who are moving successful a politically hard situation this year. In 2018, 63% of Americans approved of the mode Obama handled the presidency, according to a Gallup survey. Two years later, 75% of Democrats had a precise favorable presumption of Obama and different 17% had a somewhat favorable presumption of him, according to a Monmouth University poll.
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“Given the precocious stakes of this year’s midterm elections, President Obama wants to bash his portion to assistance Democrats triumph adjacent month,” his bureau said successful a statement.
Where is Obama campaigning?
Obama volition marque run stops successful Atlanta on Oct. 28 and successful Detroit on Oct. 29, according to a connection from his office. The erstwhile president is also scheduled to clasp different rally on Oct. 29 successful Milwaukee. Three days later, connected Nov. 1, Obama volition run with vulnerable Democrats successful Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Who is Obama campaigning with?
In Michigan, Obama volition campaign with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and different Democrats moving for office. Whitmer is moving against Republican Tudor Dixon to support the governorship.
At the lawsuit successful Milwaukee, Obama will header a rally with Gov. Tony Evers, who is seeking reelection, and with Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is moving for a Senate spot against incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson. Other Democrats joining Obama include Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Lt. Gov. nominee Sara Rodriguez, Attorney General Josh Kaul and Rep. Gwen Moore.
In Nevada, Obama will look successful a rally with Gov. Steve Sisolak and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, the astir susceptible incumbent Democratic legislator this midterm cycle. Masto holds a constrictive pb implicit Republican challenger Adam Laxalt, 46%-44% - good wrong the borderline of mistake - according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll released past week.
Obama has not said who helium volition rally with in Georgia, perhaps the astir competitory battleground state. But Democrat Stacey Abrams is facing disconnected against GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, a rematch of their 2018 gubernatorial race. Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is fending disconnected a situation from Republican Herschel Walker.
What volition Obama run on?
The erstwhile president volition impulse rally attendees to instrumentality vantage of aboriginal voting, according to his office. He volition also campaign connected entree to abortion, a important taxable Democrats are campaigning connected this predetermination cycle, and voting rights.
Why is Obama stumping for Democrats?
Democrats are facing hard governmental headwinds during this year's midterms—from an system teetering connected the brink of recession to humanities trends wherever the enactment successful powerfulness loses seats—which the GOP has been capitalizing on. Republicans person attacked Democratic candidates by linking them to President Joe Biden—whose approval numbers remain low.
Obama remains the most fashionable Democrat successful caller times and could energize Democrats to vote. Obama is besides campaigning successful battleground states similar Georgia and Nevada, wherever Biden has not appeared with Senate or legislature candidates. It's besides unclear whether the existent president has been asked to articulation candidates connected the run trail.
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The erstwhile president also said helium wants to bring attraction not conscionable to high-profile races, but to down-ballot candidates arsenic well.
"One of the things I privation to stress successful this midterm is the value of looking not conscionable astatine the apical of the ballot, but each the mode down the bottom," Obama said on the Pod Save America podcast. "Because determination are governor's races, secretary of state's races, authorities legislative races that are going to truly matter."
Contributing: The Associated Press
English (US)