First lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to attend a Women's Vote 2012 event in Charlottesville on Friday. The event is scheduled to take place at 1:40 p.m. at the Main Street Arena. Doors will open at 11:00 Friday morning.
The event will be free and open to the public, but tickets are required due to limited space. Tickets will be available Wednesday starting at 11 a.m. at the Organizing for America Office on the downtown mall. They will be given away on a first come, first serve basis and only one ticket is allowed per person.
Charlottesville Organizing for America Office Manager Jim Nix said, "Virginia is one of the top three swing states and a victory here by Obama, we think, will ensure a victory nationwide. So we are excited to have what amounts to the very best surrogate for the president, his own wife, here."
"She's a fabulous ambassador for her husband, does a great job on the campaign trail, campaigning for him," Charlottesville City Councilor Dave Norris said.
Monday, Obama campaign workers spent the day making phone calls, alerting people about the impending visit.
"It's very important," Norris said. "Very exciting for our community. It's one of the benefits of being in a battleground state."
The president himself crisscrossed the commonwealth on this past Friday and Saturday. He campaigned in just about every part of the state except Charlottesville.
Geoffrey Skelley with University of Virginia Center for Politics said, "I don't think it really signals that he's avoiding Charlottesville."
The last time Michelle Obama campaigned in our area was September 2008. She and Jill Biden rallied on the plaza outside Newcomb Hall at UVA.
"All of these visits from campaign surrogates just really shows that Virginia is going to be one of the states to watch in November," Skelley said.
Barack Obama Campaign
Press Release
On Friday, July 20, First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to Virginia, where she will speak at a Women's Vote 2012 event in Charlottesville, and later, deliver remarks to grassroots supporters in Fredericksburg. The First Lady will speak about what's at stake in this election for Virginians, encourage supporters to register to vote and volunteer for the campaign, and thank volunteers for their hard work to help re-elect President Obama in November.
These events are free and open to the public. Tickets are required due to limited space, and will be available to the public starting on a first come, first serve basis at the following Organizing for America pick-up locations below.
CHARLOTTESVILLE
WHAT: First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks at a Women's Vote 2012 Event
WHEN: 1:40 PM EDT
Friday, July 20, 2012
WHERE: Main Street Arena
230 West Main Street
Charlottesville VA 22902
Press/Public Access: 11:00 AM EDT
FREDERICKSBURG
WHAT: First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks to Fredericksburg Grassroots Supporters
WHEN: 6:00 PM EDT
Friday, July 20, 2012
WHERE: Goolrick Hall Gymnasium at the University of Mary Washington
1301 College Avenue
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Press/Public Access: 2:30 PM EDT
