Obama to stump for Murphy in New Jersey governor’s race

Former President Obama will campaign for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) later this month.

The Hill first reported on Wednesday that the former president was planning to make an appearance with the sitting governor, who’s facing a challenge from Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Murphy’s campaign later announced that Obama and Murphy would host an early vote rally in Newark on Oct. 23. 

Obama is lending a hand to Murphy as polls show the governor leading Ciattarelli 50 percent to 41 percent, according to a Stockton University poll. But Democrats say they are trying to generate higher than expected turnout in the key race.

Murphy, a former ambassador to Germany and former Goldman Sachs executive, has sought to tie Ciattarelli to former President Trump during his reelection campaign.

Obama will also campaign alongside Terry McAuliffe in the Virginia gubernatorial election as polls show a competitive race with Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Obama campaigned for Murphy in 2017, directing some of his speech at Trump.

“We are rejecting a politics of fear,” Obama said at the time. “Some of the politics we see now, we thought we put that to bed … This is the 21st century, not the 19th century.”

Updated: 4:26 p.m.