Can Jill save 'low-energy' Joe on the campaign trail? First lady is 'all in' on his re-election and can help 'energize' supporters where her gaffe-prone husband fails when he meets voters across the country
- Jill Biden was a prolific campaigner in 2022 midterm election
- She went to red states that Joe Biden skipped
- She raised millions of dollars for the Democratic Party
As President Joe Biden makes his re-election campaign official, his secret weapon to winning a second term could be his wife of 46 years, Jill Biden.
The first lady proved a tour de force during the midterm election, where she raised millions of dollars for Democrats and campaigned in tough battleground states like Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia and Texas - areas the president wouldn't even go - to help the Democratic candidates.
Those close to her have said she is 'all in' on her husband seeking a second term. She is his most trusted adviser and the last person he speaks to every day. He wouldn't run again without her blessing.
'It’s been a busy week!,' Jill Biden tweeted from her personal account after the president released a video announcing his re-election bid.
She included a photo of herself in front of the Northern Virginia community college where she teaches and added: 'Just like four years ago—I’m off to teach and Joe’s launched his (re-election) campaign! Let’s finish the job!'
Jill Biden, 71, is also the biggest support of the Biden legacy and some say she's better at being on message than her husband, who has tendency to fumble.
![Jill Biden is a powerful surrogate for Democrats and could prove the secret weapon for President Joe Biden's re-election campaign](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/04/25/02/70192179-12009575-image-a-11_1682384428152.jpg)
Jill Biden is a powerful surrogate for Democrats and could prove the secret weapon for President Joe Biden's re-election campaign
'Her palpable enthusiasm while campaigning for her husband sends the message that she is committed to her husband as a candidate and passionate about his policies,' Ohio University Professor Katherine Jellison, an expert on first ladies, told DailyMail.com.
'Since her husband is sometimes criticized as being low-energy in his own campaign appearances, Jill Biden's participation in the campaign has the potential to reach and energize audiences that her husband might not reach as effectively.'
The first lady has already articulated why President Biden, who at the age of 80 is the oldest president ever elected, is seeking a second term.
'He says he's not done,' she told the Associated Press in an interview in February. 'He's not finished what he's started. And that's what's important.'
Her words carry weight in the administration, where she keeps a close eye on President Biden. She is often seen on the Truman balcony of the White House, watching him disembark from Marine One on the South Lawn after a trip (once she even had a glass of wine in her hand).
And, on many occasions, she has her hand on his elbow, guiding Biden when he lingers too long chatting to supporters or reporters or if he is simply running late.
She also has down played questions about his health and age, pointing to his schedule.
'Ridiculous,' she told CNN earlier this year when asked about Nikki Haley's proposal that presidential candidates over the age of 75 take a mental competency test.
She pointed to the fact the president had just made his secret trip to the Ukraine.
'How many 30-year-olds could travel to Poland, get on the train? Go nine more hours, go to Ukraine, meet with President (Volodymyr) Zelensky?' she said. 'So, look at the man. Look what he's doing. Look what he continues to do each and every day.'
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/04/25/15/70211517-12009575-image-a-1_1682431501035.jpg)
![Jill Biden campaigned in Arizona with Senator Mark Kelly in November 2022](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/04/25/15/70192153-12009575-Jill_Biden_campaigned_in_Arizona_with_Senator_Mark_Kelly_in_Nove-a-2_1682431501038.jpg)
Jill Biden campaigned in Arizona with Senator Mark Kelly in November 2022
![Jill Biden campaigning for her husband in the 2020 election](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/04/25/02/70192263-12009575-image-a-12_1682384469666.jpg)
Jill Biden campaigning for her husband in the 2020 election
Lauren Wright, a politics professor at Princeton, said there is a 'huge role' for Jill Biden to play in 2024.
'My research shows spouses are generally less polarizing, more popular figures on the campaign trail and can bring benefits to the stump that other surrogates cannot, such as outsider status and relatability,' she said.
In 2022, she was the most requested surrogate from the White House to help out House and Senate candidates.
She brought out the crowds for Democratic Senator Mark Kelly in Arizona. A single fundraiser with Nancy Pelosi brought in $1.6 million for House Democrats.
Democrats did better than expected in that election. They kept control of the Senate and held Republicans to a mere five seat majority in the House of Representatives.
And, in the 2020 presidential election, Jill Biden had her own campaign schedule and stops, proving a trusted campaigner for the Biden ticket.
She was known as the 'closer,' wrapping up the Biden message and bringing home the crowd after her husband spoke.
![Jill Biden appeared at a fundraiser with Speaker Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco in the 2022 election, which brought in $1.6 million for House Democrats](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/10/12/15/63256955-11307639-image-a-1_1665585823922.jpg)
Jill Biden appeared at a fundraiser with Speaker Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco in the 2022 election, which brought in $1.6 million for House Democrats
![Jill Biden often stands on the Truman balcony (as she is above in September 2021) watching her husband disembark off Marine One on the South Lawn](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/16/14/65655727-11546059-image-a-15_1671202668782.jpg)
Jill Biden often stands on the Truman balcony (as she is above in September 2021) watching her husband disembark off Marine One on the South Lawn
![Jill Biden is often the hand on his elbow, guiding Joe Biden when he lingers too long chatting to supporters or reporters or if he is simply running late - as she did above in October 2020](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/16/14/65655775-11546059-image-a-20_1671202723827.jpg)
Jill Biden is often the hand on his elbow, guiding Joe Biden when he lingers too long chatting to supporters or reporters or if he is simply running late - as she did above in October 2020
In the White House, Jill Biden has forged her own path as first lady.
She continues her job teaching English at a Northern Virginia community college - becoming the first modern first lady to work outside the administration.
But she balances that with her commitment to her own priorities, including fighting cancer and helping military families.
She had her own health scare earlier this year. In January she had Mohs surgery to have cancer lesions removed from each eyelid and from her chest. She was later pronounced cancer free.
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