Washington mayor on promotional ad for President Biden
Courtesy of JoJo Burgess
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If the man sporting a United Steelworkers shirt in President Joe Biden’s television ads looks familiar, it’s because he is.
JoJo Burgess, the mayor of Washington, appears in two commercials airing nationally as part of Biden’s presidential campaign.
Burgess has a history with the president and First Lady Jill Biden. He was a guest of the first lady at the president’s State of the Union Address in 2022. After that, when Burgess announced his candidacy for mayor, he said he started receiving broader political attention.
In his mind, the commercials reflect well on the Washington area.
“It’s just our area being highlighted here in Washington,” Burgess said. “It’s not about me. It’s about us. I’ve always said that. I really believe that these commercials have energized a lot of things.”
In March, President Biden launched a $30 million ad blitz and tour of battleground states, including Pennsylvania. The president visited Pittsburgh last Wednesday.
In one commercial, Burgess talks about how Biden has benefited workers during his leadership.
“I see jobs coming to the area. I see infrastructure being fixed up,” Burgess says in the commercial. “I see those policies working. We can strengthen our workforce in this country. That’s what Joe Biden has done.”
In the other spot, the mayor discusses the president’s intellect, which Burgess said is often questioned.
“I’ve met him four times and everything has been just great,” Burgess said. “I’m taking a lot of heat for saying he’s sharp as a knife, but it’s the truth. He’s on top of things and he’s a people person, someone that we all need.”
Burgess, a Democrat, has been contacted by people in other parts of the country about the commercials.
“It came out on (MSNBC talk show) Morning Joe and I heard from someone in Chicago who said, ‘You’re on TV out here,’ and I asked why,” Burgess said.
He said he has received some both positive and negative feedback about the commercial.
“There’s been a lot of pushback from the other side,” Burgess said. “They need to see that recognition that Washington is getting because of what any of our residents is doing is good recognition. That’s going to bring money back to us. There’s been more positive feedback about those commercials than there’s been negative, which I like.”
Burgess said last week he took a call from a man in Philadelphia who swore and hung up on him.
“I tell people you don’t have to agree with me, but as long as we’re respectful with each other in our opinions that’s all I ask,” Burgess said. “I don’t want everybody to agree with what’s going on, but let’s enjoy the moment in our city of our Washington. These commercials have brought a big spotlight to the Washington area.”