PORTLAND, Maine — President Barack Obama will come to Maine on Oct. 30 to campaign for Democrat Mike Michaud, who is locked in a tight race for governor.
The Michaud campaign announced late Friday afternoon that Obama will stump for Michaud during a rally at the Portland Exposition Building. The campaign did not announce the time or other details about the event.
Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell also will appear at the rally, according to a release from the campaign.
The president, who is known for using his fundraising prowess across the country, is the latest member of Democratic royalty to come to Maine to support Michaud, who is giving up his congressional seat to run for governor. Former President Bill Clinton came to Portland for a rally in early September, Vice President Joe Biden surrounded himself with Democratic politicians when he visited Kittery in early September, and first lady Michelle Obama was at the University of Maine in Orono two weeks ago to endorse Michaud.
Among the Democrats’ top two couples, that leaves only former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is a leading hopeful to run for president, absent from rallies for Michaud.
Although recent polling shows the Democratic president’s popularity sagging in Maine, Obama handily won Maine’s popular vote and four Electoral College votes in 2008 and 2012.
A spate of polls in the past 10 days shows Michaud locked in a close race with Republican Gov. Paul LePage, with independent Eliot Cutler trailing the two major-party candidates by a wide margin.
The three candidates will debate at 7 p.m. Monday in a televised event co-sponsored by the BDN and CBS 13.