Former President Barack Obama will lend his star power to help get Kamala Harris elected as president.
Obama is expected to hit the campaign trail starting next week, visiting multiple areas nationwide during the final stretch of the 2024 presidential campaign. The former president will begin his campaigning with a visit to Pittsburgh to help turn out the vote for Harris in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania. It is widely believed that whichever candidate wins Pennsylvania in the election will win the presidency.
“Kamala Harris is ready for the job,” Obama said during the Democratic National Convention in August. “This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a champion. Kamala wasn’t born into privilege. She had to work for what she’s got, and she actually cares about what other people are going through.”
Obama has repeated his belief regarding the importance of this election, a stance his former adviser reiterated in a press release sent out by the Obama team on Friday.
“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, Gov. Walz, and Democrats across the country,” said Eric Schultz, former Obama senior adviser. “His goals are to win the White House, keep the U.S. Senate, and take back the House of Representatives.”
Schultz stressed the significance of Obama helping turn out voters for the election, especially since early voting has begun in certain states across the country.
“Now that voting has begun, our focus is on persuading and mobilizing voters, especially in states with key races,” Schultz said. “Many of these races are likely to go down to the wire, and nothing should be taken for granted.”
Obama’s celebrity has been somewhat of a godsend for Democrats in terms of political support. The former president is charismatic and an excellent fundraiser, an integral part of any political campaign. Obama has generated tens of millions of dollars in political donations in this campaign season alone.
“Overall, grassroots fundraising content and events signed by or featuring President Obama have generated more than $76 million for the presidential campaign this cycle,” read the press release. “Beyond the fundraising for the presidential campaign, this summer President Obama also headlined fundraising events for the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.”
During the final stretch of the campaign before the election, Obama has agreed to record political ads to be used for specific candidates and on robocalls and will participate in multiple events across the country in “a coordinated effort” to earn votes for Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and other Democrats campaigning nationwide.