President Joe Biden and former President Barrack Obama are expected to team up again, this time in Pennsylvania to shore up support for the Democratic Party’s candidates in the Senate and gubernatorial races.
The duo will stump for Senate hopeful John Fetterman (D) and gubernatorial hopeful Josh Shapiro in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas on Nov. 5, three days before voters head to the polls for in-person voting, Axios reported Monday.
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Unlike his recent predecessors, Biden has largely refrained from large blockbuster rallies on behalf of Democrats ahead of the midterm elections, though he has made smaller-scale appearances on the campaign trail.
Obama has also been largely absent from the campaign limelight until recently. He did cut an ad for Fetterman and Wisconsin Senate hopeful Mandela Barnes. Obama is reportedly planning to stump for the Badger State hopeful too as the midterm elections enter the final sprint. He has also unveiled plans to campaign in Atlanta and Detroit.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will attend a fundraiser for Fetterman on Oct. 28, per Axios. Fetterman once held a commanding lead in his bellwether race with Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, but his lead has slipped dramatically in recent weeks and is now deemed a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
Fetterman still holds a 2.2 percentage point lead over Oz in the latest RealClearPolitics polling aggregate. Meanwhile, Shapiro touts a larger 9-point lead over Republican rival Doug Mastriano, per the latest RealClearPolitics polling aggregate.
The Senate contenders are set to square off Tuesday for their first and only televised debate, while Shapiro and Mastriano have failed to agree to terms to have one. Mastriano has insisted on being able to choose the moderators, which appears to be a sticking point in deliberations, WESA reported.
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Given the 50-50 split in the Senate, the outcome of the Oz-Fetterman race could determine the balance of power in the lower chamber. Both Biden and Obama managed to win Pennsylvania in their presidential victories.
Biden has not yet held a major rally during the midterm cycle. During the two-year mark of their presidency, Obama held 14, and former President Donald Trump held 26 in cities ahead of their respective first midterm elections, according to Axios.
