急切的民主党人将在乔·拜登总统预计宣布竞选连任之前，花费大量资金作为他连任竞选的早期支持者本周。
周一，一个负责在全国范围内选举副州长的全国民主党委员会宣布，计划花费近100万美元来动员该国25名民主党人占据该职位，在关键州支持拜登-哈里斯的选票。
2021年11月17日，当乔·拜登总统抵达密歇根州底特律市的底特律大都会韦恩县机场时，他走下空军一号，受到密歇根州上尉州长加林·吉尔克里斯特二世的欢迎。
Mandel Ngan/法新社
民主党上尉州长协会的“2024动员项目”——与美国广播公司新闻独家分享——将在全国各地部署这些副州长，特别是最大限度地提高现任政府的选民投票率，DLGA表示，作为一个培养该党一些后起之秀的组织，它有独特的定位来做这件事。
DLGA主席、密歇根州副州长加林·吉尔克里斯特(Garlin Gilchrist)说:“民主党上尉州长协会准备在一场具有里程碑意义的总统选举之前在全国范围内动员起来——作为民主党地方政府，我们坚定地致力于与拜登政府合作，为美国人民实现我们的共同议程。”。
DLGA的努力是支持拜登竞选的第一批早期组织行动之一。
该组织在一份声明中说:“DLGA致力于担任民主党上尉州长的联络和调解人，以帮助民主党全国委员会和拜登-哈里斯在2024年的竞选活动，确保民主党在投票中取得胜利。”。
该组织吹捧其在蓝色州激励基础的经验，以及在关键时刻让选民在战场上投票的经验，称这些步骤对拜登在2024年连任“至关重要”。
“作为美国最重要的摇摆州之一的上尉州长，我很自豪能与拜登总统站在一起，并渴望分享他在整个威斯康星州及其他地方取得的所有成就，以及我们将继续共同取得的所有成就，”威斯康星州副州长萨拉·罗德里格斯说，并补充说，拜登是“我们国家需要的领导人”
宾夕法尼亚州副州长奥斯汀·戴维斯(Austin Davis)表示，他“毫不怀疑”拜登的胜利可能会在2024年再次降临英联邦，因为这个关键州在确保拜登2020年当选总统方面发挥了关键作用。
戴维斯说:“宾夕法尼亚人也知道，在拜登总统和一名极端共和党人之间的选择再清楚不过了，民主党上尉州长急于传递这一信息。
DLGA一直在努力提高选举过程的透明度。3月，该组织宣布的计划到2026年筹集1500万美元，并在2024年和2025年向每一场高风险的副州长竞选承诺200万美元——这是对其大量战争资金的显著使用。
民主党副州长一直在向捐助者强调他们作为该党未来的作用的重要性，强调选择曼德拉·巴恩斯(Mandela Barnes)和现任参议员约翰·费特曼(John Fetterman)等高调的副州长参加全国各地的竞争。
周二被视为拜登宣布2024年竞选连任的可能目标。这位总统几乎没有面临宣布竞选的压力，只面临玛丽安娜·威廉森和小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪不大可能的初选挑战，他一直说他计划参加竞选，告诉ABC新闻的大卫·穆尔二月份，他“打算”竞选第二个任期。
拜登已经获得了党内各方的支持，从佛蒙特州独立参议员伯尼·桑德斯(他与民主党人进行了党团会议，并在2020年党内提名中向他提出了挑战)，到前众议院议长南希·佩洛西(Nancy Pelosi)和参议院多数党领袖查克·舒默(Chuck Schumer)等当权派人物。
Democratic lieutenant governors mobilize cash as early backers of Biden-Harris ticket
An eager bench of Democrats will spend heavily to stake out positions as early supporters of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign ahead of his expected announcement, which could come as soon asthis week.
On Monday, a national Democratic committee tasked with electing lieutenant governors nationwide announced plans to spend nearly $1 million to mobilize the country’s 25 Democratic occupants of that office, shoring up votes in key states for the Biden-Harris ticket.
The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association’s “2024 Mobilization Project” -- shared exclusively with ABC News -- will deploy these lieutenant governors across the country and specifically maximize voter turnout for the incumbent administration, something the DLGA says it’s uniquely positioned to do as an organization cultivating some of the party’s up-and-coming talent.
"The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association is ready to mobilize across the country ahead of a monumental presidential election -- As Democratic LGs, we stand strong in our commitment to partnering with the Biden administration to deliver on our shared agenda for the American people," said Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, chair of the DLGA.
The DLGA’s efforts are one of the first early organizational moves in support of Biden’s bid.
"The DLGA is committed to serving as the liaison and facilitator for Democratic Lieutenant Governors to aid the DNC and the Biden-Harris campaign in 2024, ensuring Democratic victory up and down the ballot," a statement from the organization said.
The organization touted its experience energizing the base in blue states and in key getting voters to turn out in battleground ones -- steps it said are "crucial" to getting Biden reelected in 2024.
"As the Lieutenant Governor of one of the most critical swing states in the country, I am proud to stand with President Biden and am eager to share all that he has accomplished -- and all that we will continue to accomplish together -- throughout Wisconsin and beyond," said Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, adding that Biden is "the leader our country needs."
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said that he has "no doubt" that a Biden victory might come down to the Commonwealth again in 2024 after the Keystone State’s critical role in securing the presidency for Biden in 2020.
"Pennsylvanians also know that the choice between President Biden and an extreme Republican could not be clearer, and Democratic Lieutenant Governors are eager to deliver that message," said Davis.
The DLGA has been pushing for more visibility in the election process. In March, the organizationannouncedplans to raise $15 million by 2026 and commit $2 million to every high-stakes lieutenant governor race in 2024 and 2025 -- a notable use of its substantial war chest.
Democratic lieutenant governors have been stressing to donors the importance of their roles as the future of the party, highlighting the selection of high-profile lieutenant governors such as Mandela Barnes and now-Sen. John Fetterman to run in competitive races throughout the country.
Tuesday is seen as a likely target for Biden to announce his 2024 reelection campaign. The president, who has faced little pressure to announce his bid and faces only unlikely primary challenges from Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has long said he was planning to run,telling ABC News’ David Muirin February it’s his "intention" to run for a second term.
Biden has already seen support from all flanks of the party, from Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats and who challenged him for the party's 2020 nomination, to establishment figures like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
