WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 As Democrats fight to keep control of the Senate, President Joe Biden has been practically absent from midterm election campaigning in pivotal states such as Georgia, Nevada and Ohio.
But he keeps coming back to Pennsylvania, and his won't keep him away. He plans to return on Thursday for the 14th time since taking office in January 2021, speaking about infrastructure in Pittsburgh and holding a fundraiser in Philadelphia for , who's running for an open Senate seat. And Biden's 15th trip is already scheduled for next week.
Pennsylvania is only a short flight from Washington, making it the most convenient swing state for the president to visit. It's also central to Biden's political identity, even rivaling his home state of Delaware, which he represented as a senator for nearly four decades.
With its communities of blue-collar white voters, Pennsylvania is an intimate test of whether Democrats can still win over the kind of people that Biden grew up with in Scranton, but more recently have thrown their support to Republicans and Donald Trump.
鈥淚t鈥檚 personal for Joe Biden," said Darrin Kelly, the president of the Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council. "He鈥檚 no stranger here, because he pretty much is one of us.鈥
Kelly said Biden has followed through on his promises to organized labor, pushing policies that will help working people. But will that sink in on Election Day, Nov. 8?
鈥淭ime will tell," Kelly said.
Biden's approval ratings remain underwater in Pennsylvania, much as they do nationwide. But he still has 鈥渟omething of a home field advantage鈥 when he visits, said Christopher Borick, a professor of political science at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.
鈥淚n Pennsylvania, he can still help more than he can hurt," Borick said.
Biden's family moved to neighboring Delaware when he was 10 years old. He eventually began his political career there and was elected to the Senate in 1972.
But he was often called Pennsylvania's 鈥渢hird senator," and he still peppers his speeches with references to Scranton.
While speaking last summer in Macungie, a small town in Lehigh County, Biden mixed up his geography by saying 鈥渄own the road in Bethlehem" rather than 鈥渦p the road.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 used to thinking from Scranton," he explained.
Biden returned to his birthplace almost exactly one year ago to promote his economic agenda.
鈥淚 believe that home is where your character is etched, and I really mean that,鈥 Biden said, adding that 鈥渋t鈥檚 where your view of the world begins.鈥
He reminisced about playing shortstop with the Green Ridge Little League, buying penny candy at Simmey鈥檚 and celebrating Mass at St. Paul鈥檚.
Although Biden expresses nostalgia for Scranton, it's also where he came to understand the humiliation that economic struggles can bring. His dad couldn't find work and the family had to move.
鈥淚 think the longest walk a parent can make is up a short flight of stairs to tell their kid, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 live here anymore,'" Biden said. 鈥'You can鈥檛 because dad doesn鈥檛 have a job.' Or 鈥榤om don鈥檛 have a job.'鈥
It's the same kind of pain that he talks about when it comes to issues such as prescription drugs, asking his audience to put themselves in the shoes of a parent unable to afford insulin for a son or daughter with diabetes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not only a risk to your child鈥檚 life,鈥 he said at the White House last year. 鈥淚t deprives you of your dignity."
Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who doesn't face reelection until 2024, said Biden's experience helps him connect with people who face their own challenges.
鈥淗e鈥檚 able to understand what it鈥檚 like to struggle, and to understand people who are up against difficult circumstances," Casey said.
Fetterman is running against Republican Mehmet Oz, a heart surgeon who hosted a daytime television show for more than a decade. They're competing to succeed Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who did not seek reelection.
Brittany Yanick, a spokeswoman for Oz, said Fetterman 鈥渨ould be a rubber stamp for the Biden agenda.鈥
鈥淛oe Biden and far-left Democrats like John Fetterman have sent the U.S. economy spiraling into a recession, caused crime to skyrocket, and allowed gas prices to reach record highs," she said.
Fetterman has faced scrutiny over his health since he had a stroke in May On Wednesday he released a report from his doctor that said Fetterman 鈥渋s recovering well from his stroke and his health has continued to improve鈥 and concludes that he 鈥渉as no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office.鈥
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Biden has found Fetterman 鈥渏ust as capable鈥 of serving as senator as ever. Fetterman is the lieutenant governor, and she said that 鈥渉e鈥檚 doing that with great ability and heartfelt concern for the people of the commonwealth.鈥
Pennsylvania has one of the country's most expensive Senate races, and Biden will help Democrats with his fundraiser on Thursday.
鈥淲e have the tin cup out," said Jamie Perrapato, executive director of the pro-Democratic group Turn PA Blue.
鈥淭his is a good time to reassure people, keep them focused, remind them of how important Pennsylvania is," she said.
Casey said 鈥渢his is one of those years where it will be close,鈥 befitting Pennsylvania's status as a narrowly divided state.
Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016, and Biden won it in 2020.
Given that Biden intends to run for a second term in 2024, Casey said, "it doesn鈥檛 hurt to be in Pennsylvania in 2022.鈥
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This story has been corrected to reflect that Christopher Borick is a professor of political science, not an assistant professor, at Muhlenberg College.
