Obama to Campaign in Ohio, Michigan for Midterm Efforts
Former president joins rallies for Senate candidates Sherrod Brown and Abdul El-Sayed in key battleground states.
Barack Obama will campaign Saturday with Democratic candidates in Ohio and Michigan, ramping up his involvement in the midterm elections.
Obama's first event is scheduled in Cleveland with Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is seeking reelection. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton is also expected to appear. Ohio has become more reliably Republican in recent years but remains a closely contested battleground.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have both visited Ohio recently to support Republican candidates.
Following the Ohio event, Obama will attend a rally in Detroit for Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official seeking to unify the Democratic base in Michigan. El-Sayed won a narrow Democratic primary to face former Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee.
Obama's presence in Detroit, a city with a large Black population, could help boost El-Sayed's support among Black voters. In September, Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black and South Asian vice president, campaigned for El-Sayed.
El-Sayed has previously expressed some disagreements with elements of Obama's presidency but acknowledged his foundational role in creating opportunities for his own political career. He spoke with Obama by phone after winning his primary in August.
Michigan also features open races for attorney general and secretary of state. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson is also slated to appear at the rally. Benson is running against Republican Rep. John James.
Obama is also scheduled to headline a rally in Georgia next week with Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms. Trump is slated to speak in Georgia on Saturday.