Obama to stump for Spanberger, Sherrill in final weekend of their gubernatorial campaigns

President Obama will campaign for the two fellow Democrats running for governor this year – Virginia's Abigail Spanberger and New Jersey's Mikie Sherrill – on the final weekend of their respective races. 

Obama will headline rallies for the candidates on Saturday, Nov. 1 – three days before Election Day, according to FoxNews.com.

The gubernatorial races are competitive and the only two this election cycle.

Their outcomes are being considered a bellwether of how Democrats are fairing with voters after losing the White House and Senate majority in 2024 and how voters in swing states like New Jersey and Virginia might vote in next year's midterm elections, in which all 435 House seats are up for reelection.  

Obama is still widely considered the most influential figure in the Democrat Party. His arrival on the campaign trail this year is of particular relevance considering his signature health care initiative – the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as ObamaCare – is a major issue in the government shutdown.

Senate Democrats are withholding their votes to pass a measure to at least temporarily fund the federal government until the GOP agrees to extend key Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies in a measure to fully fund the government. 

Sherrill and Spanberger each hold single-digit leads over respective GOP nominees Jack Ciattarelli and Winsome Earle-Sears, according to RealClearPolitics polling.