Energized by their speeches at the Democratic National Convention last month, the Clintons and Obamas will travel the country to help Harris reach key voters over the coming weeks.
WASHINGTON — Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, along with former first lady Michelle Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are preparing to lend their political star power to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign in the final stretch of the election, according to four people familiar with their plans.
The high-profile surrogates all felt “energized” by their roles in the Democratic National Convention last month and have offered to help the Harris team in any way that would be most helpful, these people said.
Barack Obama is expected to headline a fundraiser for Harris in Los Angeles next Friday and then hold larger campaign events next month, while Michelle Obama will focus on encouraging voter registration and turnout for Harris, the people familiar with the Obamas’ plans said. In addition to traveling for Harris, the former president will also sign his name to fundraising materials and will record candidate-specific ads and robocalls for Democrats running in down-ballot races, as he has done in past cycles, according to a person familiar with the effort.
“His strategy this fall will be driven by where he can move the needle with Democrats and persuadable voters, especially in states with key races,” senior Obama adviser Eric Schultz said.
Obama will also “engage in traditional and creative tactics” to reach voters digitally by working with content creators and influencers to push young people to IWillVote.com, Schultz said.
While she is likely to hold fewer campaign events than her husband, Michelle Obama is even more energized to help this election cycle now that it’s Harris, not President Joe Biden, on the Democratic ticket, people familiar with her plans said. The overall strategy and schedule are still being finalized for the Obamas, the people familiar with their plans said, and they will take their direction from the Harris campaign about what’s needed on the campaign trail.
During Michelle Obama’s speech at the DNC in Chicago, she implored Democrats to not just support Harris this November but “do something” to help her win.
The Obamas “are both extremely energized by Harris’ candidacy, enjoyed their time at the convention and they’re looking forward to being helpful in any way they can in the course of her campaign,” a former senior adviser to Obama said.
The Obamas and Clintons would have had some role in the home stretch of the Biden campaign had it continued. One person close to the planning said now they can help with different constituencies Harris needs to win over in November.
For instance, Bill Clinton will likely target more rural areas, with possible events in places like the Rust Belt and Georgia, two people familiar with his plans said. He’s eager to get out on the trail and was described as a “Dalmatian at a firehouse” by one person close to him.
Former President Clinton may also make an appeal to Latino voters specifically since he did better with that key demographic when he was in office than his successors, an additional source said. He will also likely be tapped to speak about economic issues, given his role as the “explainer-in-chief” on that topic in 2012, this person said, with his travel for Harris likely beginning sometime in October.
Hillary Clinton, for her part, is expected to focus on women and LGBTQ voters during her campaign events, two people familiar with her schedule said, with dates still being discussed. She will also likely be a key messenger on reproductive freedom which could be an effective way of reaching suburban women, whom the campaign also views as critical.
She plans to help with fundraising efforts, these sources said, in between stops on her latest book tour, which kicks off next week. Hillary Clinton has at least one luncheon with donors scheduled for next Friday, separate from Barack Obama’s event.
Both the Obamas and the Clintons have been in frequent touch with Harris since she took over the top of the ticket, with Hillary Clinton offering debate strategy and perspective ahead of the vice president’s showdown with former President Donald Trump in Philadelphia this week.
For his part, Biden will continue to travel to battleground states to tout what the White House views as the top Biden-Harris accomplishments of their term in office. The president will travel to Philadelphia on Monday in his official capacity but is expected to continue stumping for Harris wherever he goes and will do more joint events with the vice president in the final sprint to Election Day as well, according to officials in both of their offices.
Biden in particular can help shore up older white voters, who are not at the heart of the Harris coalition, these people said. First lady Jill Biden has also pledged to campaign for Harris in the fall, with a possible focus on education.
Beyond the Bidens, Obamas and Clintons, Democratic governors like Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro and California’s Gavin Newsom will serve as key surrogates in the next seven weeks, along with Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., according to a source familiar with their plans.
The Harris team has had a steady stream of celebrity backers out on the trail on the vice president’s behalf as well, which is only expected to ramp up in the coming weeks, but the campaign is also working to engage digital surrogates more directly than in past cycles. It hopes to leverage the massive followings of online content creators to its benefit, without necessarily having to plan in-person events for them, the source said.
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NBC News
