Sen. Barack Obama will be in Tempe today to rally Democratic Party activists and energize the party's faithful in the final days before the midterm elections.
Party officials hope the visit by the Illinois senator will invigorate supporters and help propel local Democrats to victory when voters go to the polls Nov. 7.
"This is going to be a big election for the Democrats, and we're hoping to get everyone excited with such a dynamic speaker and a well-known face," said Alice McKeon, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party.
The election is only 15 days away, and "we really have to fire everyone up," she added.
The rally will begin at 10 a.m. at the Sixth Street Park, on Sixth Street between College and Mill avenues next to Tempe's City Hall.
Obama's rousing speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention propelled the freshman senator to fame among party activists. He has often been cited as a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008.
On NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, Obama acknowledged that he is considering a run for president.
"Barack Obama has widespread appeal," McKeon said. "He really is a rock star in Democratic politics."
Obama is expected to talk about the importance of voting and encouraging supporters' friends and neighbors to do the same, McKeon said.
Party officials are unsure how many people may attend because the rally is taking place during the workday, McKeon said.
The party's permit filed with the city of Tempe showed it expects 500 to 1,000 people to attend, said city spokeswoman Nikki Ripley.
Organizers expect the event to draw heavily from ASU students because Obama is particularly appealing to young voters, McKeon said.
"He speaks so well to the issues important to our generation," she said.
ASU's Young Democrats spent much of last week creating signs and making phone calls to tell students about the event, said the club's president, Joaquin Rios, a political science junior.
Upward of 100 students may attend, he added.
"There's definitely excitement among young people for him and the message that he brings," Rios said.
The College Republicans are organizing their own counterrally nearby to promote their candidates, said President T.J. Shope.
They will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Mill Avenue and University Drive before scoping out a place near the Democrats' rally, Shope said.
Obama is "obviously one of the most liberal members of the United States Senate," which will help Democrats energize their supporters, Shope said.
"I definitely think he would rally their base pretty well," he said. "Would it rally a big cross section of the voters in Arizona? I don't think so."
After the rally, Obama will be at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix at 7 p.m. to sign copies of his book, "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream."
Reach the reporter at jonathan.cooper@asu.edu