WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden is kicking off her husband’s outreach to older voters, an effort that will combine rallies and phone banks with social events such as bingo nights and pickleball games.
While President Joe Biden is in Italy attending the Group of Seven summit, the first lady will travel to four swing states to launch the Seniors for Biden-Harris effort. Older adults are more likely to vote than the average American, and in some key swing states they make up a larger share of the population. Biden, who outperformed previous Democrats in terms of demographics in 2020, is looking to extend gains as his campaign tries to maximize its chances of defeating former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
Jill Biden’s travels take her to Green Bay, Wisconsin; Duluth, Minnesota; Reno, Nevada; and Phoenix, the campaign said. While its events will feel like traditional rallies, the campaign also plans to use pickleball events and bingo nights to motivate and keep older voters activated to help push the campaign into November.
“Seniors are such a critical part of our coalition, and it is critical that we engage them in this election cycle because they know that President Biden is the only candidate in this race fighting for lower drug and health care costs and to Protect and secure Medicare. and Social Security,” said Biden campaign manager Julia Chavez Rodriguez. “Dr. Biden is both a trusted voice for seniors speaking on the issues that matter most to them and an energizing force to activate our supporters ahead of the election.”
Jill Biden had spent much of the past ten days in a federal courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware, supporting her son Hunter Biden, who was convicted Tuesday on federal firearms charges. The swing marks her return to the campaign trail after the difficult experience for her family.
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