Former President Barack Obama offered his support for Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe Wednesday in a debut campaign ad.
“Virginia, you have a lot of responsibility this year,” Obama said in the campaign video. “Not only are you choosing your next governor, but you’re also making a statement about what direction we’re headed in as a country.”
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Obama noted his past relationship with McAuliffe, claiming no one has worked harder for Virginia than McAuliffe. McAuliffe stood strong on the values that Virginia cares about, Obama said, including “protecting every citizen’s right to vote, fighting climate change, and defending a woman’s right to choose an abortion.”
Obama is scheduled to appear at a McAuliffe rally in Richmond on Saturday, Oct. 23, to endorse the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
On Sunday, McAuliffe will be joined by musician Dave Matthews, former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, and Democratic chairman Jaime Harrison at his Charlottesville rally.
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The McAuliffe campaign has attempted to bridge the razor-thin polling gap between McAuliffe and Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin, which currently lingers within the margin of error. Youngkin edged out McAuliffe in the polls 48.4% to 47.5% as of Oct. 15.
To bolster support, Democratic officials have drawn upon the influence of leading Democratic officials. Earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris released pro-McAuliffe ads to play in 300 black churches across the state. First lady Jill Biden also traveled to Republican-controlled Henrico County to stump for McAuliffe on Oct. 15.
