Michelle Obama sets Reno visit on first debate day

RENO - First lady Michelle Obama will campaign in Reno on Wednesday, the same day as the first presidential debate, an Obama campaign official confirmed Thursday.

The president himself will be hunkering down for several days in the Las Vegas area to practice for the face-off with GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. President Barack Obama also will hold a public rally on Sunday in Las Vegas after he arrives earlier that day.

The first couple's focus on Nevada is a testament to the state's status as a battleground that could determine who wins the White House in the Nov. 6 election.

Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, campaigned in Reno on Thursday to talk up her husband and argue the nation can't afford another four years under Obama.

Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 12.1 percent, and Obama can't afford to let Romney gain the upper hand here. Recent polls on average show Obama edging out Romney in the Silver State, which Obama won in 2008.

Early voting starts Oct. 20 in Nevada. Online voter registration continues through Oct. 6, and in-person registration goes through Oct. 16. Democrats have outpaced Republicans in registering voters, giving Obama's party a 65,000 edge to date.

Obama plans Sunday to urge his supporters to register to vote and to go to the polls early to help seal his victory, according to his campaign.

The rally will be at Desert Pines High School. Doors will open at 4 p.m. for the event with Obama speaking about 6:30 p.m.

Obama and his entourage are expected to stay in Henderson at the Westin at Lake Las Vegas from Sunday through Wednesday morning. He is practicing for the Denver debate with U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who will be on site in Henderson, a campaign official said.

Contact reporter Laura Myers at lmyers@review journal.com or 702-387-2919.