Obama to campaign in Wisconsin for Democratic Senate candidate trailing in the polls

Wisconsin race could alter balance of Senate

Former president Barack Obama is heading to Wisconsin later this month to back the faltering campaign of Democratic Senate hopeful Mandela Barnes, a race that could help determine who controls the upper house.

Mr Obama, who handily won Wisconsin in 2008 and 2012, is reportedly bound for the state on 29 October, and will also campaign on behalf of governor Tony Evers.

Mr Barnes, currently lieutenant governor, is facing off against Republican incumbent Ron Johnson, who is seeking a third term.

Last week, a CBS/YouGov poll showed Mr Barnes trailing by one percentage point, as voters rate Mr Johnson as a better option on top-bill issues like crime and the economy.

The lieutenant governor, who could become Wisconsin’s first Black senator, has focused on campaign issues like abortion, election integrity, and Mr Johnson’s views on the January 6 riots at the US Capitol

Republicans have hammered him as an alleged support of the movement to defund the police. He’s denied supporting it, calling the attacks “lies,” though a CNN investigation found that he’s previously voice support for directing police funding to non-violent social service programmes and abolishing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

Mr Obama has kept a much lower profile than Donald Trump during this midterm season, though the Democrat has reportedly fielded numerous offers to campaign in races around the country.

Allies told CNN he fears that campaigning in too many races would fire up Republican opposition and be counterproductive.

Mr Trump, meanwhile, has criss-crosssed the country to back candidates like Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania, Kari Lake in Arizona, and Tudor Dixon in Michigan.

At numerous campaign-style events, Mr Trump has continued to spread false claims about the 2020 election and fueled speculation that he’s planning a 2024 comeback run at the White House.

Democrats, according to election models, could use all the help they can get this November.

According to the election prediction model at political data journalism outlet FiveThirtyEight, Democrats are only slightly favoured to retain control of the Senate, while Republicans show a strong chance of winning the House of Representatives.