Obama to campaign for Dems in Indiana and Illinois

Former President Obama will head to Indiana for a rally Sunday in hopes of providing a final boost for Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.).

The Indiana Democratic Party announced Wednesday that Obama will rally in Gary for Donnelly and other state Democrats on the ticket in this year’s midterm election.

{mosads}Donnelly is one of the most vulnerable incumbent Democrats up for reelection this year, and the outcome of his race will play a role in which party controls the Senate.

JUST ANNOUNCED: President Barack Obama is rallying Hoosiers to the polls in Gary on November 4. We want you to be there. Learn how to get your free ticket at https://t.co/ntjvrA1b9w. pic.twitter.com/fvjW0894Ys

— Indiana Democrats (@INDems) October 31, 2018

Obama narrowly won Indiana in 2008, the first time a Democrat did so since 1996.

Obama lost Indiana in 2012, and President Trump won the state in the 2016 presidential election.

The former president will be in the state one day before Trump hosts a rally in Indianapolis to support Donnelly’s opponent, Mike Braun (R).

Recent polls have shown a tight race, and a RealClearPolitics average of those polls shows Braun leading by half a percentage point.

Donnelly has sought to distance himself from the Democratic establishment on a number of issues to appeal to more moderate or conservative-leaning voters.

At a Tuesday debate, the Democrat indicated he would be open to looking at legislation that ends birthright citizenship, which is enshrined under the 14th Amendment, after Trump proposed the idea earlier in the day.

Following the Indiana rally, Obama will attend a rally in his native Chicago in support of J.B. Pritzker (D), who is aiming to unseat incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner (R). The Cook Political Report rates the race “likely Democratic,” and recent polls have shown Pritzker with a sizable edge.

Obama has been on a campaign swing in the closing weeks of the midterm cycle, making stops in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and announcing plans to campaign for gubernatorial candidates this week in Florida and Georgia.