Obama is about to return to politics

Former President Obama will participate in campaign events for Democratic gubernatorial candidates in the states of New Jersey and Virginia.

Former US President Barack Obama. Photo: AP.

Barack Obama, the 56-year-old former US president, will attend campaign events in the two states of New Jersey and Virginia today to support Democratic gubernatorial candidates, AFP reported.

“There are only two big elections this year, the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia,” said Larry Sabato, a political science professor.

Voters in the two states will decide who will be their governor on November 7. The two races are an indicator of voter sentiment ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, a major test for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

In New Jersey, the governorship is almost certain to go to Democrat Philip Murphy, who would succeed Chris Christie, a Trump ally whose approval ratings are at record lows.

New Jersey "is an easy win for Democrats, Virginia is the only one that's competitive. Obama needs Richmond more than Trenton," Sabato said, referring to the two state capitals.

Virginia is the only state in the southern US that former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Virginia's importance is partly due to its proximity to the capital Washington.

In Richmond, Virginia, Mr. Obama will endorse Ralph Northam, a former military surgeon who has a narrow lead over Republican candidate Ed Gillespie in a Quinnipiac poll.

It is not yet clear what message Mr. Obama will deliver. Mr. Obama has not participated in political activities since leaving the White House on January 20, keeping the tradition of former presidents.

After three months of vacation, Mr. Obama began writing his memoirs. He spoke little in public and gave almost no interviews. The former president occasionally commented on important national issues such as immigration, health care, and climate change.

According to VNE