Obama to hit the campaign trail for Harris in battleground states

By Kierra Frasier

Kamala Harris was among Barack Obama’s earliest supporters in 2008, knocking on doors and raising money to help propel him to a two-term presidency.

Now, he’s returning the favor.

The former president will appear Thursday at an event in the Pittsburgh area, the start of what will be part of a swing-state “blitz” through Election Day, said a senior campaign official, granted anonymity to discuss the schedule ahead of the announcement.

“Kamala Harris is ready for the job,” he said. “This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a champion. Kamala wasn’t born into privilege. She had to work for what she’s got, and she actually cares about what other people are going through.”

Obama joins a string of both high-profile politicians and celebrities stumping for Harris. As Harris hit the trail Thursday with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, her campaign announced that actress Jennifer Garner would campaign for Harris in Arizona. Last month, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller and other celebrities supported Harris for a live-streamed town hall.

Harris and Obama have known each other since 2004, when they met on the campaign trail as he ran for Senate and she was still district attorney in San Francisco.