Obama to Visit Springfield in February

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Published on January 29 2016 3:17 pm
Last Updated on January 29 2016 3:20 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

Nine years after he launched his unlikely presidential bid, President Barack Obama plans to return to the site where it all began: Springfield, Illinois.

The White House said Friday that Obama planned to visit there February 10, the same date he announced his candidacy in 2007.

"As a state senator, he spent each day in the Illinois State Capitol working in good faith with folks from all walks of life -- Democrats and Republicans and independents representing good people of every ethnicity and faith -- determined to do right by the people of the state he made his home," a White House official told CNN. "And as a United States senator from Illinois, he chose the steps of the Old State Capitol, where Abraham Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, to ask Americans to join him in the unfinished business of perfecting our union."

Governor Bruce Rauner issued the following statement:

“I look forward to welcoming President Obama to the State Capitol and hearing him speak about finding common ground between Republicans and Democrats. Despite our political differences, the President and I share a passion for improving education, especially for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, a belief in the benefits of term limits and redistricting reform for restoring good government, and a strong desire to see more economic opportunity for all Illinoisans. I know we can achieve great things for Illinois by having mutual respect for one another and focusing on bipartisan compromise to achieve what’s best for the long-term future of our great state.”