MIAMI (WSVN) - President Barack Obama landed in Miami to attend a DNC fundraiser, which will be one of the last fundraisers the president will attend in Florida.
Obama was greeted by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy.
Just before 5 p.m., the president arrived at a private residence in Miami Beach to participate in a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee round table discussion. The price of admission for attendees was more than $19,000 per person.
Obama’s visit primarily focuses on raising money for U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy.
Murphy, who has been endorsed by both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, is campaigning for Marco Rubio’s seat in the Senate after Rubio made it clear he would not run for re-election.
Murphy’s main contender on the Republican side is Carlos Lopez-Cantera. “Florida is a critical race,” said Murphy, “and the Democrats feel that we have a really good shot to bring back control of the U.S. Senate.”
Lopez-Cantera said, “If you think about the things that are facing this country, $19 trillion in national debt, an open Supreme Court Justice seat, all of the rules and regulations and bureaucracy. All of the things we all know are the problem. Florida is the third largest state.”
At 7:20 p.m., the president delivered remarks and took questions at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser at the private residence of lawyer Robert Rubinstein in Coconut Grove, where Murphy was in attendance.
About 90 people paid $10,000 or more to meet the president. “He talked about the coming election, he talked about the Democratic party and accomplishing things and get out to vote and all the things that we care about,” Rubinstein said.
At 8:35 p.m., the President departed from Miami International Airport en route to Palm City, where he will spend some time before returning to Washington D.C. on Sunday.
This is expected to be Obama’s last visit in South Florida as president.
Traffic was also affected by President Obama’s visit. The Julia Tuttle Causeway, northbound Alton Road and the 41st Street Corridor were closed at 4 p.m. and did not reopen until around 7 p.m.
Miami-Dade County transit services were also affected.
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