Applause and cheers roared as President Barack Obama entered the gym at Central High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut Sunday afternoon to throw his support behind Gov. Dan Malloy at a campaign rally days before the election.
Obama noted that there are two more days until the public will take to the polls and have the chance to vote for the governor to represent them for the next term and he implored the crowd there to vote and encourage others to vote to re-elect Malloy.
"He won four years ago because of about four votes per precinct," Obama said. "Your vote matters and don't let anyone tell you it doesn't."
Protesters supporting immigration reform interrupted the president several times throughout his speech, but the crowd drowned them out by yelling "four more years." Police escorted several protesters from the event.
Despite having to stop a few times Obama, remarking "this is a rowdy crowd today, he pulled the focus back to Malloy. He touched on issues from equal pay in the work place to job creation. The president told the crowd that despite a sagging economy, Malloy has helped to shepherd the state to better times.
"I can't vote in Connecticut, but I'll tell you who I'll vote for. That's Dan Malloy," he said.
The presidential motorcade got to Joint Base Andrews airport in Maryland at 1:13 p.m. Sunday and Air Force One landed at Tweed New Haven Airport at 2:11 p.m. Malloy was there to greet him at the airport.
Politics
Helicopters took off shortly thereafter, followed by the presidential motorcade, to take the president and his travel crew to Bridgeport. The motorcade arrived at the school at about 3 p.m. and Obama spoke close to 4 p.m., greeting people in the crowd afterward. Several people in the crowd snapped photos of the president with cell phones and iPads as he exited to head back to Tweed New Haven Airport to fly out.
Police began ramping up security Sunday morning in the area in anticipation of Obama's arrival.
Parking bans on Capitol Avenue, Lincoln Boulevard and Taft Avenue near the high school went into effect at 8 a.m. and will last until 6 p.m. Sunday night.
Police barricades were put up in the area and any cars left on the restricted roads will be towed.
The rally was a ticket-only event and was a rare campaign visit for the president. While candidates across the country have looked to distance themselves from his policies and Washington in general, Democratic sources said that Obama's appearance in Connecticut could make a difference come Election Day.
Air Force One departed Tweed New Haven Airport at about 4:55 p.m. to head to Philadelphia.
Earlier in the day, unaffiliated gubernatorial candidate Joe Visconti endorsed Tom Foley (R) for governor.
