
President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at N.C. State on Wednesday at an event regarding the economy. This visit comes only two weeks before the president is set to give his 2014 State of the Union address.
“We are honored to welcome President Obama and look forward to demonstrating how N.C. State is a pre-eminent research enterprise that excels in driving economic growth and educating the workforce of the future,” said Chancellor Randy Woodson in a statement released Saturday.
Steven Greene, a professor of political science, told ABC News that though he believes Obama will emphasize unemployment in his speech, he also thinks Obama is visiting because of the upcoming U.S. Senate race.
Senator Kay Hagan, a Democrat who is up for re-election this November, is already embattled in what The News &Observer has referred to as “one of the country’s most expensive races.” Last week, The N&O reported that Americans for Prosperity, a group aligned with the conservative Koch Brothers, has spent $4.2 million on ads targeting Hagan. The total bill of the race is estimated to be $9.7 million.
Obama gave a speech at N.C. State in September 2011 encouraging the public to support his American Jobs Act. He spoke to a crowd of nearly 10,000 people in Reynolds Coliseum. Obama is the fourth sitting president to visit N.C. State, preceded by Presidents Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
This year’s visit will take place in a much smaller setting than Reynolds, according to the HOWL email Student Body President Alex Parker sent on Sunday night. Student tickets will be more limited than they were for Obama’s 2011 visit. Parker told students to check their email accounts for details regarding ticket distribution, which will take place today.