Biden to campaign with McAuliffe in Northern Virginia

President Biden is set to campaign with Democratic gubernatorial nominee and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in Virginia next Friday, according to McAuliffe’s campaign. 

The campaign stop will mark the first time Biden has campaigned with McAuliffe during the 2021 campaign cycle. 

Biden told McAuliffe last month he was “all in” on helping him in his election efforts after McAuliffe handily won the Democratic primary. 

McAuliffe has touted Biden’s work as president on the 2021 gubernatorial campaign trail, praising Biden administration accomplishments, like the American Rescue Plan. 

Both men are key figures in the Democratic Party establishment and have long been political allies. McAuliffe endorsed Biden for president ahead of the 2020 Virginia presidential primary and hit the road for the then-Democratic presidential candidate. 

“I want someone who’s going to protect ObamaCare,” McAuliffe, who was then working as a CNN commentator, said on the network last year. “I think Joe Biden has the best chance of winning Virginia in the general election. You can’t sit on the sidelines, so I’m going to go all-in for Joe Biden.” 

Biden will be one of the most high-profile surrogates to hit the trail in the Virginia governor’s race this year. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and potential 2024 GOP presidential contender Nikki Haley campaigned with Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday and Wednesday in Richmond and Northern Virginia. 

However, it is unclear whether former President Trump will hit the campaign trail with Youngkin ahead of the election. Trump, who lost Virginia in 2016 and 2020, endorsed Youngkin after he won the Republican convention earlier this year. 

Trump offered his support to Youngkin again in a statement this week. 

“Now a great candidate, Glenn Youngkin, is running against political hack and unpopular former Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe,” the former president said in a statement.