WASHINGTON: Democrat Kamala Harris will campaign for the first time with Barack and Michelle Obama in separate events next week, hoping to inject some political star power in the final dash to election day in November, a senior campaign official said.
The former president and his wife remain immensely popular with the Democratic base and are expected to be effective closers in the final stretch of a campaign relying on turnout from loyal Democrats in states where victory margins are thin.
Polls show the presidential race between Harris and Republican rival Donald Trump remains extremely close.
Michelle Obama is set to campaign for the first time this election cycle, appearing with Harris on Saturday, October 26, in Michigan. The former first lady's pull-no-punches speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year accused Trump of fear mongering his way to power.
Barack Obama is set to campaign with Harris next Thursday in Georgia. He has been crisscrossing the battleground states, with a solo event recently in Pittsburgh, and more to come in the coming days in Tucson, Las Vegas, Detroit and Madison.
Barack Obama drew some criticism after his first campaign appearance where he admonished some Black men for not "feeling the idea of having a woman as president."
Critics said his tone threatened to scapegoat some of the Democratic Party's most reliable supporters, alienating voters who may have grown disillusioned but are still persuadable.
Harris was an early supporter of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential bid, and he has helped her behind the scenes as the party's 2024 standard-bearer.
The former president is viewed by some as having helped usher President Joe Biden out of the race after Democrats' worries about the 81-year-old leader's age and abilities skyrocketed after his June debate against Trump.
Trump and Kamala led dueling rallies on Friday in Michigan, a crucial battleground state where Arab American voters angered by US support for Israel may hold the key to a deadlocked race.
The killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar drew optimism from Vice-President Harris for a Gaza ceasefire, but Israel quickly said his death is not the end of over a year of war.
Harris has found herself on eggshells as she upholds President Joe Biden's support for key ally Israel, while Muslim and Arab American voters have voiced outrage over the death toll in Gaza.
One of those voters in the extremely close race, 51-year-old Marwan Faraj, said he supported Biden but won't cast a ballot for Harris because of her backing for Israel.
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