HAPPENING TODAY: Obama to stump for Abrams, Warnock
Former President visits Georgia to rally Dem voters
Barack Obama will visit Georgia on Friday to campaign for Stacey Abrams, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and other Democratic candidates running in competitive races.
Abrams is facing a rematch with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. And Sen. Warnock is looking to fend off a challenge from Republican Herschel Walker in a race that could determine which party controls Congress.
The former President is expected to address a packed crowd at the Gateway Center in College Park, a community just outside of Atlanta.
Obama remains a popular figure in his party, and many Democratic candidates believe that he can offer a boost to candidates who are facing competitive races in a challenging political environment.
Georgia Democrats are hoping that Obama can energize Black voters, a central constituency in the party. Both public and private statewide surveys have found Abrams lagging behind her 2018 performance with African-Americans. The Obama rally is one of several events Abrams has attended to try and shore up Black support.
Since leaving office, Obama has been somewhat of a mainstay on the campaign trail in the Peach State. In 2018, he held a campaign rally with Abrams at the Atlanta University Center. He also stumped for Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the lead-up to the January 2021 runoff elections.
Obama has maintained a limited campaign schedule this year, but he is stepping up his involvement in several key races as election day approaches. He is set to campaign in Michigan and Wisconsin this weekend. He has also aired television ads in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Arizona.