CLARIFICATION: The headline on this story was changed to reflect the office of U.S. Rep. Susan Wild's clarification that this is an official visit by the first lady and not a campaign event.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — First lady Jill Biden on Tuesday will headline a tour of Democratic VIPs to the Queen City, where they'll look to engage with the Latino community as the Lehigh Valley's congressional race heats up.
U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, a three-term incumbent, will host Biden and U.S. Reps. Nanette Barragan, D-California, and Nydia Velazquez, D-New York.
The trip is part of Congressional Hispanic Caucus on the Road, which aims to get lawmakers and White House officials to meet and speak with Latinos.Release from U.S. Rep. Susan Wild's tream
The four women are expected to discuss education and workforce development in the region, according to a news release issued by Wild's team Friday afternoon.
The trip is part of Congressional Hispanic Caucus on the Road, which aims to get lawmakers and White House officials to meet and speak with Latinos.
Biden made a similar stop in Allentown back in 2021, when she visited The Learning Hub in Center City with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
That visit, promoted as a charla — the Spanish word for chat — was intended to build support for President Joe Biden's Build Back Better infrastructure plan.
This will be the first lady's third visit to Allentown in the past four years. Along with the charla, she made a campaign speech for Wild at Muhlenberg College during the 2022 election cycle.
Valley's a bellwether area
Tuesday's appearance will be the latest example of the Biden campaign investing star power in hopes of courting the region's growing Latino community.
Bacerra toured St. Luke’s University Health Network Sacred Heart and at Star Community Health Center on Chew Street back in March.
During the lunch break of his three-hour visit, he asked members of the Latino community to help the campaign connect with local voters and find ways to promote its policy achievements, such as capping some drug prices.
Tuesday's visit also will help promote Wild, who represents one of the most hotly contested congressional districts in the country.
Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, which includes Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties along with a sliver of Monroe County, is nearly evenly divided between registered Democrats and Republicans.
Wild will face off against Republican challenger Ryan Mackenzie, a Lehigh County state representative who has attacked her and Joe Biden on high inflation and border security.
The campaign is expected to be among the most expensive in the country as the candidates and their allies funnel millions of dollars into the race.
With control of the House narrowly divided, both parties view the district as essential to setting their legislative agenda in Washington.
The Lehigh Valley also could play an outsized role in the presidential race. The region has a reputation as a bellwether for Pennsylvania, a swing state both Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are battling to win.
Both presidential candidates already made appearances in the area this year, with Biden visiting Emmaus in January and Trump holding a rally in North Whitehall Township in April.
