By Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will visit two closely contested 2024 election states next week on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, rescheduling travel delayed because of Hurricane Helene, according to a Biden adviser.
Biden plans to visit Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for events on Harris’ behalf, the adviser said.
The states are two of the mostly highly prized in the race for the White House and reflect an indication of how Harris’ campaign will use the current president in the waning weeks of the race.
Biden had delayed his travel given the hurricane response, the port strike resolved on Thursday and the Iran attack on Israel on Tuesday.
Biden will continue to prioritize both the hurricane response and the Middle East conflict as he travels, the adviser said.
The hope is that Biden will have a message to sell voters on what they tell public opinion pollsters is their No. 1 issue – the economy – after the resolution of the port strike and a strong jobs report on Friday.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
