Vice President Joe Biden hit the campaign trail Saturday in San Diego to boost Rep. Scott Peters, a Democrat seeking re-election in a fiercely competitive district.
Peters, a first-term member of Congress, is vying against Republican Carl DeMaio, notably one of the few gay Republican candidates in this election cycle.
“The reason why it’s so critical that Scott go back, that we retain the Senate, is we have to deal the middle class back in,” Biden said during a 22-minute speech, according to a pool report. “The middle class is what built this country.”
Much of the focus by major Democratic Party surrogates in the final days before Election Day has been on the battleground Senate races, which will determine whether Democrats keep a majority in the Senate. The House, by contrast, is expected to remain safely in Republican control.
But Biden and, to a larger extent, President Obama have had a tough time finding races where they are welcome. The president and his policies have been among the biggest drags on Democrats in this election cycle, and his presence has been considered a liability to many candidates.
When Biden and Obama have hit the trail, they’ve stressed some of Democrats’ favorite messages from this election cycle, including raising the minimum wage and making the workplace more equal for women.
Peters and DeMaio’s race is considered a “toss-up” by RealClearPolitics.
