Obama Is Headed To Washington With His Eyes On Freshman House Democrats

Freshman Democrats in the House of Representatives are scheduled to meet former President Barack Obama on Monday during an introduction event hosted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi is gathering her caucus’s new members to “celebrate the freshman class of the 116th Congress” and meet the party’s former leader, according to an invitation obtained by Politico. The reception is invitation-only.

Obama has largely been staying out of the spotlight since he left office, however, he has been working behind the scenes meeting with prospective and declared candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for president in 2020.

Obama was instrumental in convincing former Democratic Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke to launch his own bid for the presidency consistently stating that he definitively would not be running. Other Democrats that he has sat down with include defeated Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

Speculation has been mounting that Obama’s two-term running mate former Vice President Joe Biden will be jumping into the presidential race and is expected to do so as early as April. While he has not formally declared his presidency, he has been polling as the top contender for the Democratic nomination. Biden’s age and his race are seen as a drawback by the left wing of the party, and an endorsement from Obama would boost his candidacy.

The freshman celebratory meet-and-greet will be held at the home of Esther Coopersmith, who most notably served as representative to the United Nations under former President Jimmy Carter.

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