Big Guns Head To PA As Trump, Obama, Biden Plan Campaign Rallies

PENNSYLVANIA — Days ahead of a pivotal election that could determine the future balance of power in both the state and the country, President Joe Biden and former Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama will campaign in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Trump will attempt to rally populist support from his MAGA wing of the Republican Party for gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Doug Mastriano and U.S. Sen. candidate Mehmet Oz on Saturday.

Obama will be in Pittsburgh the same day in support of the Democrats' Governor hopeful Josh Shapiro and Oz's opponent Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, and Obama is also planning to link up with Biden for a rally in Philadelphia.

Given the stakes and Pennsylvania's continuing role as a political bellweather, it's little surprise to see each party's heavyweights look to make a final impact before next Tuesday. It could also serve as a preview of the 2024 Presidential race, which could be a rematch between Biden and Trump.

Trump's event will take place at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, which is in Westmoreland County an hour southeast of Pittsburgh. The time and location of the event have not yet been announced.

While Mastriano has consistently trailed Shapiro by several points for nearly the entire race, Oz has reversed Fetterman's large lead and the two have been polling nearly evenly for weeks. The latest average of polls from RealClearPolitics gives Oz a 0.3 point advantage on the heels of Fetterman's recent stroke and concerns over his fitness for office.

The winner of the gubernatorial race will not only be the determining factor in the future of touchstone issues like abortion in Pennsylvania, but will also be in charge of running election returns in 2024. With mail-in balloting and other election laws still points of heavy contention, the governor will have an outsized impact on the results.

The winner of the U.S. Senate, race, meanwhile, could tilt the body either red or blue. It's currently split between 50 Democrats (including two independents that caucus with the party) and 50 Republicans.