Former President Barack Obama plans to campaign in New Jersey for Phil Murphy this week, the latest in a parade of big-name Democrats to show public support for the party's nominee for governor.

Obama is scheduled to join Murphy and his running mate for lieutenant governor, Sheila Oliver, at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, according to an advisory. The event is listed as a "canvass kickoff."

Murphy served as Obama's U.S. ambassador to Germany from 2009 to 2013. Before that, he was the Democratic National Committee's finance chairman. Before Obama was elected the 44th president, in 2008, he attended a fundraiser at Murphy's Middletown home that featured a performance by neighbor Jon Bon Jovi.

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Obama last campaigned for a gubernatorial candidate in 2009, when incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine was being challenged by Chris Christie. Christie won and is now set to leave office after two terms as governor.

New Jersey is one of two states with gubernatorial elections this year. The other is Virginia. Obama is also planning to campaign for that state's Democratic candidate, Ralph Northam.

Obama joins a long list of Democrats to accompany Murphy on the campaign trail ahead of the Nov. 7 election. Former Vice Presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore and former Secretary of State John Kerry have all campaigned for Murphy in the past week. Another former Obama official, Eric Holder, who served as attorney general, is also set to campaign for Murphy this month.

Public attendance at the Newark event is by invitation only.