Biden, Harris are coming to NC again. What to know about Tuesday’s visit to Raleigh

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will be in North Carolina on Tuesday, making a stop in Raleigh.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because they both already visited this year, and Harris made a stop in the Triangle this month.

In January, Biden gave a speech at Abbotts Creek Community Center in northern Raleigh, where he talked about high-speed internet expansion. He also visited an educator’s home, where he brought takeout from Cook Out.

This time, the president and vice president will be together.

Biden and Harris are running for re-election this year, and with North Carolina being a key battleground state, voters may see frequent visits throughout the year from the candidates.

Democratic strategist Morgan Jackson told The N&O in a recent interview to expect that.

There’s “hardly a week that’s gonna go by that you’re not going to have either a Democratic principal in state or Republican principal in state. I think that’s because North Carolina is going to be incredibly competitive,” Jackson said.

Biden and Harris also are in town for an official event and are expected to attend a fundraiser. For security reasons, details of the event are not made public ahead of time.

Contrasting visions in North Carolina

During a White House press briefing on Monday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Biden and Harris are coming to the state to “discuss the administration’s vision for the future. On the other hand, Republican elected officials are proposing a very different vision for the nation. Last week, the Republican Study Committee released a budget which proposes devastating cuts to Medicare, to Social Security and to (the) Affordable Care Act. It would increase prescription drug, energy and housing costs, all while forcing tax giveaways for the very rich.”

Jean-Pierre said the North Carolina trip is an “opportunity to contrast those visions.”

During a phone interview with The News & Observer on Tuesday morning, Jean-Pierre said that the North Carolina visit is part of Biden and Harris plans to travel to different states and to “lay out their vision and how they see moving forward and protecting and strengthening the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, Medicare. .... The most important thing obviously in all of this, that connects all of this, is their plan to lower health care costs, including prescription drugs.”

Harris visited on March 1, just ahead of North Carolina’s primary, and spoke in downtown Durham on Parrish Street, which is the state’s historic Black Wall Street.

Roads between Raleigh-Durham International Airport and her Durham destination, including a section of Interstate 40, were closed briefly for the motorcade to pass by.

Traffic advisory for Raleigh

The Raleigh Police Department issued a traffic advisory on Tuesday morning, saying: “Traffic may be impacted throughout the day due to President Biden’s visit to Raleigh. Expect and plan for road closures and delays.” Police did not mention specific roads, but urged residents to follow them on social media for updates throughout the day.

By Tuesday afternoon, several intersections surrounding Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh had been closed to traffic.

Visits from Biden and Harris have frequently included surprise stops at local businesses, like Biden’s stop at Cook Out with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

Harris visited Shaw University and Trophy Brewing during a September 2020 visit when she was first running for vice president. In 2023 as vice president, Harris visited Panaderia Artisanal, a Latina-owned bakery in Raleigh.

Cooper regularly greets the president or vice president at Raleigh-Durham International Airport as they debark from Air Force One or Air Force Two. Cooper is usually joined by other elected officials representing the area, from mayors to members of Congress.

Gov. Cooper with Biden and Harris

Cooper is in the final year of his second term, and has yet to announce what he wants to do after he leaves office at the end of the year.

The N&O asked Jean-Pierre about Cooper’s future involvement with the White House given that this is his final year as governor.

“He’s going to be with the president and the vice president today. We appreciate his support — everything that he’s done for Medicaid expansion. ... Over 400,000 North Carolinians are now going to be able to participate in that Medicaid expansion,” Jean-Pierre said.

“That is because of what Gov. Cooper has been able to do. That’s because of his leadership. He understands how important it is to lower health care costs for Americans. And so we appreciate that leadership. And so we’re happy to have him join the President and Vice President today in North Carolina.”

Cooper made Medicaid expansion a priority of his time as governor, and after years of negotiating with Republican legislative leaders, including multiple budget stalemates, Medicaid was expanded this past year.

Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson are running for governor. Cooper has said that he wants to continue in public service, leading to speculation that he’ll run for U.S. Senate or seek a position in the Biden Harris administration.

Stein’s spokesperson told The N&O that he will be at Biden and Harris’ event in Raleigh, but not the airport.