With just over a week to go until the last day of voting in Virginia and New Jersey, former Pres. Barack Obama is joining each state's Democratic nominee for governor on the campaign trail.
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Always held the year after a presidential election, the statewide and legislative races in both states are seen as bellwethers for the nation's political landscape going into the midterms. A strong showing by Democrats could assuage party fears about 2022, but if Republicans make gains, it will serve as a warning shot for Democrats as they try to connect with voters in the post-Trump era.Obama isn't the first top surrogate to hit the trail with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and former Gov.
McAuliffe also has an event planned with President Joe Biden in deep blue Arlington on Tuesday. While Biden and McAuliffe have been friends for over 40 years, the president hasn't stumped with him since late July. Earlier this month, McAuliffe acknowledged Biden's approval rating has taken a hit since then.