Former President Barack Obama is heading back to Michigan later this month to campaign alongside Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed as the party looks to lock down support in one of the country’s most closely watched races.
Obama is scheduled to appear with El-Sayed at an Oct. 24 rally in Detroit.
The event will also include Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and other statewide candidates.
The timing is significant.
Obama’s appearance will fall on the first day of Michigan’s required early in-person voting period, giving Democrats a high-profile launch to their final stretch before Election Day.
El-Sayed is facing Republican Mike Rogers for an open Senate seat that could play a major role in determining which party controls the chamber.
The rally also represents a public show of support for El-Sayed after a bruising Democratic primary.
El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens by less than one percentage point in August.
The contest highlighted divisions inside the party between its progressive and more moderate wings.
Stevens had the backing of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer during the primary.
Some advertisements supporting her also featured Obama praising her record, making his decision to now campaign with El-Sayed particularly notable.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, had support from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris also campaigned with him last month after he secured the nomination.
Obama spoke with El-Sayed by phone following the primary and is now preparing to join him publicly on the campaign trail.
For Democrats, the sequence reflects an effort to move past the primary fight and rally behind their nominee.
Detroit could be an especially important setting for that effort.
Stevens performed better than El-Sayed in Wayne County during the primary, winning roughly 51% of the Democratic vote compared with about 45% for El-Sayed.
Wayne County includes Detroit, where more than three-quarters of residents are Black.
Obama’s appearance gives El-Sayed a chance to reconnect with voters who supported Stevens and strengthen support in a region that could prove critical in November.
The rally comes just weeks after El-Sayed and Rogers are scheduled to meet for their first debate on Oct. 8.
That debate will give voters an early look at the differences between the two candidates before Obama arrives in Detroit, per the Conservative Brief.
The Senate race is not the only major contest on Michigan’s ballot.
Benson is running for governor against Republican Rep. John James.
Michigan also has open races for attorney general and secretary of state.
Control of the state legislature is also at stake, adding another layer of importance to the midterm election.
Obama has been increasing his campaign activity as the election approaches.
He recently recorded roughly two dozen advertisements for Democratic Senate and gubernatorial candidates.
Those ads are expected to run during the closing weeks of the campaign.
Obama has also appeared in an Iowa Senate advertisement and campaigned for Democratic candidates in Texas.
He is scheduled to headline a fundraiser in Washington this week supporting Senate Democrats.
That event will include a conversation with Delaware Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester.
More campaign stops are expected later this month.
Detroit is familiar territory for Obama, who campaigned there during both the 2022 and 2024 election cycles.
In 2024, rapper Eminem introduced him at a Detroit rally.
This time, the focus will be El-Sayed.
With early voting beginning the same day, Democrats are hoping Obama’s appearance can help unify the party and boost turnout as the Michigan Senate race enters its final weeks.
