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President Barack Obama will add his political magic to a competitive race that Democrats want to win.

In what’s slated to be his first campaign appearance since leaving the White House, President Obama will headline a rally in Richmond, Virginia on Oct. 19 for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam, NBC News reports.

Liberals view Virginia’s high-profile governor race as a must-win, which could build momentum toward retaking Congress in the 2018 midterm election.

According to polls, Northam holds a small but steady lead over the GOP candidate Ed Gillespie.

Political analyst Bob Holsworth told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that Northam must get out the Democratic base to win. While Northham holds a commanding 75 percent of the Black vote, about 18 percent of Black voters remain undecided and may pass on the election.

ā€œNortham can’t have a situation where he’s underperforming with the African-American community and among young people,ā€ he stated.

The Times-Dispatch reported that Northham ā€œfired up a crowdā€ of supporters at a recent event when he announced that President Obama is scheduled to appear at his upcoming rally.

ā€œPresident Barack Obama said that ā€˜I want to tell you how important Virginia is to me. It means the world to me. It means our legacy, for me and Michelle. I’m going to do everything that I can to come to Virginia to campaign for you,ā€™ā€ Northam told the crowd, according to the newspaper.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump endorsed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman. And Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to appear at a rally on Saturday for the Republican candidate.

SOURCE: Ā NBC News, Richmond Post-Dispatch

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