Senator Kay Hagan won’t be in attendance when President Obama visits Raleigh, N.C., on Wednesday, potentially signaling that the red-state Democrat is trying to distance herself from the president as she faces a tough reelection bid last this year. The most recent polls from December 2013 show Hagan in closes races with potential Republican challengers, even trailing some candidates.
While most representatives make a point to be present when the president of their party comes in to town, a Hagan spokesperson said the first-term senator will stay in Washington because the Senate is in session.
President Obama will speak at North Carolina State University on Wednesday to push his economic agenda, according to local reports.
UPDATE: In 2011, Hagan attended a presidential visit to North Carolina even though the Senate was in session.
Hagan was present at President Obama’s visit to Asheville on October 17, 2011 as part of the president’s bus tour to push his job plan. Even though she was in North Carolina, Senate records show she was still able to make it back to Washington in time to cast votes at 5:31 p.m. Additionally, Hagan was interviewed live by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews from the Capitol that same evening.