President Barack Obama will make several appearances in Florida this week, including a speech at the University of Miami and several fundraising events throughout the state.
The president has accelerated his re-election campaign efforts in recent weeks, attending fundraising events and giving speeches in states that are considered to be battleground states in the upcoming general election.
During his three-day west coast trip last weekend, the president raised an estimated $8 million for his re-election campaign, The Associated Press reports.
“It would be naïve to think there wasn’t a political or campaign purpose to most of his travel,” said Gary Jacobson, a political science professor at the University of California San Diego, in an interview with The Miami Herald. “It’s part of the permanent campaign presidents are engaged in these days.”
Mr. Obama will make an appearance for a fundraising event at the Windermere, Florida home of NBA guard Vince Carter on Thursday, likely an appeal to NBA fans who will be in Orlando for the NBA All Star game this weekend.
He will also give a speech about restoring the U.S. economy at the University of Miami Thursday, and attend a fundraising event with Chris Korge, a Miami lawyer and top Democratic campaign fundraiser.
Additionally, the Florida branch of the Obama For America campaign team will hold a digital training at its Jacksonville office Tuesday, to train supporters in how to campaign for the president digitally.
Florida is a state that both parties will be focusing on in the upcoming election. The Sunshine state has 29 electoral votes, which is one of the highest among battleground states for the general election.
“The president views it as one of the chief responsibilities of the office to spend some time outside Washington, D.C., talking to people all across the country about the economy and about how they’re affected by the policy decisions that he’s making here,” said Obama spokeswoman Joanna Rosholm.
Mr. Romney won the Florida Republican primary election by a wide margin, garnering the majority of his votes from the more culturally diverse areas of Florida.
However, a recent Pew Research Center poll of Latino voters in Florida and nationwide shows Latinos overwhelmingly support President Obama, and the Latino vote in Florida will be crucial for both parties in the fall.
Florida also has two Republican senators, and a majority of Republican representatives in the House, as well as a Republican governor.
In contrast, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is a Florida lawmaker and chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. She has a strong presence in Florida and will be looking to help the president’s re-election efforts there as well.
