At least he has Air Force One to beat the traffic: Biden will campaign outside of New York City on MARATHON day in a final push for Democrat Kathy Hochul - as she tries to avoid a Republican upset

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President Joe Biden will be near New York City on Sunday - the day of its popular marathon - to make a last-minute campaign pitch for embattled Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is facing a GOP upset.

Biden will join Hochul in Yonkers, about an hour outside of the city proper, Capitol Pressroom reported. He is the latest high-profile Democrat to campaign for her, after appearances from Hillary Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris.   

On the same day the president flies in to the state, 50,000 people will be running the 26-mile New York City marathon, with thousands lining the city streets to cheer the runners on. 

Polls show Hochul is running neck-and-neck with Republican challenger, Rep. Lee Zeldin, in a race that is becoming closer than Democrats expected. 

Biden was in New York on October 24 when he joined Hochul in Syracuse to tout his economic agenda. She also is expected to hold rallies this weekend in Brooklyn with former President Bill Clinto and in Manhattan with Bravo talk-show host Andy Cohen.

Zeldin also has brought in high-profile surrogates including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; Virginia Gov. Glenn Glenn Youngkin; Rep. Elise Stefanik, a member of Congressional leadership; and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. 

President Joe Biden will in New York on Sunday to make a last-minute campaign pitch for embattled Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, above the two are seen in Syracuse last month

Biden has spent the final days of the election shoring up blue areas in a sign the Democrats fear Republicans will bring a red wave in the November 8th midterm election that will determine control of Congress. 

The president is in California on Friday after visiting New Mexico on Thursday. He'll be in Illinois and Pennsylvania on Saturday. He'll make his closing pitch to voters at a rally in Maryland on Monday. 

Election forecasters predict Republicans will win control of the House. They only need a net gain of five seats to win the majority. The Senate is seen as more up for grabs. 

New York has more than twice as many registered Democrats than Republicans and has not voted for a Republican governor since George Pataki won a third term in 2002. 

Republicans have been criticizing Democrats for the high inflation driving up the cost of living and the high rate of crime throughout the nation. 

In New York, Democrats have tried to counter that by making it about reproductive rights.  Hochul has focused on her campaign message on abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Zeldin and national Republicans 'want to turn back the clock on abortion,' Clinton said at the Thursday rally with the New York governor. 'They spent 50 years trying to make that happen. But they want to turn back the clock on women's rights in general.' 

Party officials are focusing on ramping up their voting base to get to the polls on November 8th. 

Across the nation, Democrats seem uninspired to cast their ballot in next week's election. 

Biden will be in New York on the same day 50,000 people will be running the 26-mile New York City marathon, with thousands lining the city streets to cheer the runners on - above runners in the 2021 marathon

Hillary Clinton (right) and Vice President Kamala Harris (left) appeared at a campaign rally Thursday night at Barnard College in Manhattan to stump for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (center) 

Republican Lee Zeldin has made inroads with voters by talking about high crime rates

An NPR/PBS/Marist survey found that enthusiasm is down among Democratic voters compared to Republicans.

Black voters, Latinos and young voters - all key Democratic voting groups - are among the least fired up about the election. 

Meanwhile, older voters, Trump voters, white evangelical Christians and rural voters — all major Republican groups — are ready to vote. 

Democrats see preserving democracy and abortion rights as motivators for their base. 

Since the Supreme Court ruling in the Dobbs case, which overturned Roe v. Wade, Biden and his surrogates has emphasized reproductive rights are at a risk and point to Republican efforts to pass laws outlawing abortion. 

Zeldin, who is close to Donald Trump and opposes abortion, was expected to be a weak challenger to Hochul.

But he has made crime a central tenant of his campaign, which has boosted his chances. 

Zeldin has held multiple news conferences in New York City to decry violent crimes, including incidents on the subways, putting the blame on Hochul and the Democrats.