Joe Biden Expresses Support for NY Gov. Kathy Hochul in Attempt To Avoid Major Upset

United States President Joe Biden expressed his support for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in an attempt to stave off a potential major upset by Republican candidate Lee Zeldin.

The Democratic president's efforts come as there are other candidates who are in much tighter races across the country that could help in determining who takes majority control of the House and Senate.

11th-Hour Campaigns for Midterms

Over the weekend, Biden called the midterm elections "one of the most important elections. One of the most important elections in our lifetime." However, on Monday, the Democrat, instead of supporting candidates in tight races who were on their own, will campaign for Wes Moore, the candidate for Maryland governor who is already set to take a victory on Tuesday.

Furthermore, Moore is set to hold a rally on Monday night that will be attended by President Biden, the first lady, and several prominent Maryland Democrats. The president's appearance comes as the latest poll showed Moore ahead by 31 percentage points over his Republican rival, Dan Cox, as per Fox News.

The polling data website FiveThirtyEight gave Moore a more than 99% chance of winning the race to replace moderate Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. The rally also marks the last campaign event for Biden before Election Day. It comes as the president traveled for campaign events in largely blue areas in the last week, which includes New York, Illinois, and California.

Hochul, on the other hand, was making a desperate attempt to stave off a major upset by Republican opposition Zeldin. She focused on areas where high Democratic voter turnout will be crucial for her chances of winning the race.

According to the New York Times, Biden expressed his support of Hochul in an 11th-hour rally on Sunday at Sarah Lawrence College in Westchester County, New York. The Democratic leader called the governor someone who can "get things done." He also characterized Election Day as a "choice between two fundamentally different visions of America."

Tight Election Races

Biden, speaking for a half-hour in front of a crowd filled with college students and other supporters, repeatedly criticized Zeldin for the Republican's stances on gun control and abortion. He also ridiculed Zeldin's focus on crime as empty and rhetoric.

The visit also underlined that the governor's race in New York, which was previously thought to be a smooth victory for Democrats, has grown to become a tighter race, which reflects that party's troubles across the country.

The president's appearance also came on the heels of an event in Brooklyn on Saturday with former President Bill Clinton. The latter urged party faithful voters to reject what he characterized as fear-mongering and macho bravado that was voiced out by Zeldin.

Biden was not the only one trying to shore up support for Democrats as First Lady Jill Biden was in Northern Virginia campaigning with Rep. Jennifer Wexton in a congressional district that the president won by nearly 20 points in 2020.

On the other hand, former President Donald Trump was set to join a rally alongside Republican J.D. Vance on Monday evening in Dayton, Ohio. It is a deep-red state where Democrat Tim Ryan has been forced into a tight race for the open Senate seat, Politico reported.