Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s Democratic nominee for Senate, will appear at a Labor Day parade with President Joe Biden next week in Pittsburgh.
Fetterman is the second battleground Democrat running for Senate to announce an appearance with the president in the last few days as political observers watch to see whether candidates in swing races embrace the president despite his low but improving approval ratings.
The parade is one of the largest gatherings in the country to mark the holiday.
GOP’S EXPECTED HOUSE MAJORITY SHRINKING: POLL
Biden will also travel to Pennsylvania for an event in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, where he is expected to discuss his administration’s plans to address gun violence.
“John will not be at the Wilkes-Barre event with Biden, but he will be marching in the Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh next week, and he looks forward to talking to the President there about the need to finally decriminalize marijuana,” a spokesperson for the Fetterman campaign told the Washington Examiner.
In a statement later Monday, Fetterman said Biden should act to decriminalize marijuana.
“The president needs to use his executive authority to begin descheduling marijuana, I would love to see him do this prior to his visit to Pittsburgh,” Fetterman said. “This is just common sense and Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support decriminalizing marijuana.”
In response to Fetterman’s appeal, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that afternoon that Biden has no plans to expedite decriminalization.
Meanwhile, fellow Pennsylvania Democrat and gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro plans to attend both Biden events — the Wilkes-Barre event in his capacity as attorney general.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), the Democratic nominee for Senate in Ohio, who is locked in a competitive race for an open seat, said Sunday on CNN he plans to appear with Biden at an event in the Buckeye State next month. The pair will both attend a groundbreaking event for a new semiconductor manufacturing facility.
“This is all about dominating these industries of the future, that’s what my campaign is all about,” Ryan said on CNN’s State of the Union.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
A president’s party historically loses congressional seats in a midterm election cycle, and Biden has routinely had low approval ratings, tied in part to voter apprehension over rising consumer costs. But as gas prices have dipped, Biden’s approval rating has risen, seemingly easing concerns over using the president as a surrogate for the party during the midterm campaign season. Ryan previously indicated he did not plan to campaign with Biden.
