Obama campaigning as he returns to political life

WASHINGTON (AP):

Former President Barack Obama is stepping back into the political spotlight. Obama will publicly stump for Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey today in preparation for this fall's elections.

Obama will first drop in on campaign workers in Newark, New Jersey, for Democratic candidate Phil Murphy and then head to Richmond to help boost Democrat Ralph Northam.

This will not be the last public event for Obama this month. Obama goes to Chicago to head up his first Obama Foundation leadership summit on October 31 and November 1.

An August NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found 51 percent of Americans said they have a favourable opinion of Obama, while 35 percent had a negative opinion.