By Jarrett Renshaw and Nandita Bose
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris heads to the battleground of Georgia on Thursday for a star-studded rally featuring rock legend Bruce Springsteen, entertainer Tyler Perry and former President Barack Obama.
The event is the latest by the Harris campaign to capitalize on endorsements from movie and music stars to rally voters in the closing days of a tight election race against Republican rival Donald Trump.
It will also mark the first time Harris and Obama will campaign together. Harris is also slated to appear with Michelle Obama on Saturday in Michigan, one of seven swing states expected to decide the winner on Nov. 5.
Celebrity endorsers add cultural cache to candidates, and have typically helped campaigns raise money, turn out crowds at rallies and generate excitement on social media. For both the Harris and Trump campaigns, they are part of the down-to-the-wire blitz to mobilize voters ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5.
The latest polls in Georgia show Trump with a slight lead, but Harris campaign officials say they remain confident the state – along with its neighbor North Carolina – are still in play come November. President Joe Biden pulled off a surprise victory in Georgia in 2020.
Some 1.9 million residents have already cast their ballot in Georgia, according to the secretary of state’s office.
On Monday, Springsteen, 75, will also appear in Philadelphia with Obama and the Harris campaign has signaled more concerts with other musicians will be announced soon.
In 2016, Springsteen played a three-song set at a rally in front of 20,000 people at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall for Democrat Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign on the eve of the election. In 2008, Springsteen played a seven-song set for tens of thousands on the city’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway to urge people to register and vote for Obama.
Taylor Swift, Pink, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Lizzo and many other celebrities have endorsed Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. Swift’s endorsement of Harris via an Instagram post this September has now received more than 11 million likes.
Former President Trump also has celebrity names backing him.
Trump supporters from the entertainment world include musicians Ted Nugent, Kid Rock and Jason Aldean, wrestler Hulk Hogan, who spoke at this summer’s Republican National Convention, Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White, actor Dennis Quaid, and TV star Amber Rose.
(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw and Nandita Bose; Editing by Mary Milliken and Deepa Babington)
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