Obama to campaign for Wisconsin Democratic candidates at end of month

Former President Obama will travel to Wisconsin to campaign for Democratic candidates in the state at the end of the month. 

A webpage from the Wisconsin Democratic Party states that Obama will visit Milwaukee on Saturday, Oct. 29 for an “early vote” event. 

“There’s so much at stake in the upcoming election on November 8, and it’s imperative that we elect Wisconsin Democrats up and down the ballot in November in just a few short weeks,” the page states. 

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the Democratic nominee for Senate against Sen. Ron Johnson (R), tweeted the news on Friday, saying that Obama’s 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention is one of the reasons he decided to go into public service. 

Obama, who was then running for a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois, gained national attention for his keynote address at the convention in 2004. It helped propel him to the national stage and a presidential run in 2008.

Wisconsin is seen as a possible pickup opportunity for Democrats seeking to maintain and expand their narrow majority in the Senate. 

Polls have shown a tight race between Johnson and Barnes, although Johnson has led in recent polls. FiveThirtyEight’s polling average lists Johnson leading by about 3 points. 

The state’s governor’s race is also expected to be tight as Gov. Tony Evers (D) attempts to win a second term against Republican Tim Michels. FiveThirtyEight’s polling average shows Evers leading by about 1.5 points.