Former President Barack Obama is holding a rally Thursday in Ohio for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate at the same time Donald Trump Jr. will be in the state fundraising for the Republican contender for the job.
Obama will be headlining a rally in Cleveland for Democrat Richard Cordray, who was served as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in his administration.
Meanwhile, 90 minutes down the road in Salem, Ohio, Trump Jr. is headlining a fundraising event for Republican Mike DeWine.
President Obama is rallying for the Ohio Democratic governor candidate on Thursday
At the same time Donald Trump Jr. will be holding a fundraiser for the Republican contender
The governor’s contest is considered a dead heat in the state President Donald Trump won in the 2016 election.
But Obama carried the Buckeye State in both of his presidential campaigns: 2008 and 2012 setting up a clash of presidential titans.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is getting into the ring as he’ll be campaigning in the state soon for Cordray, Politico reported.
President Trump endorsed DeWine and appeared at the Republican Party’s fund-raising dinner last month.
Obama re-entered the political ring last week with a sweeping denunciation of his political successor, calling President Trump a ‘bully’ who is distorting the rule of law and calling for voters to secure a restoration of ‘decency and lawfulness’ in government.
He’s pledged to help Democrats in the midterm elections. The Ohio governor’s races is one of the Democrats’ few chances to flip a governor’s mansion. Republican Gov. John Kasich is term limited.
Donald Trump Jr. has been helping his father’s party on the campaign trail, appearing with candidates in Montana, Florida, Texas and other places
The two governor candidates – DeWine and Cordray – have faced each other before. DeWine ousted him as state attorney general in 2010 by a mere two points.
After Cordray’s loss, Elizabeth Warren, who was then an adviser to Obama and is now a senator from Massachusetts, selected him to lead the enforcement arm of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Richard Cordray who is running for the governor’s office in Ohio, pictured with Elizabeth Warren
Republican Mike DeWine has been endorsed by President Trump and outgoing Gov. John Kasich
In July of 2011, Cordray was selected over Warren as the head of the entire CFPB.
Warren has stumped for Cordray in his quest to become governor.
Cordray is also an undefeated five-time “Jeopardy” champion.
DeWine, who is a former U.S. senator, is in the awkward position of having been endorsed by President Trump and Kasich, who are often at political lager heads.
He and his family own Minor League Baseball’s Asheville Tourists.