LITTLETON, Colo.—Her voice choking with emotion, Michelle Obama asked supporters in Colorado Monday to thank Barack Obama’s grandmother for raising him.
Obama used her final Colorado campaign appearance—and her first since the Democratic campaign announced the death of the woman Barack Obama called “Toot”—to ask supporters to pray for Madelyn Payne Dunham, who died at age 86.
“Say a prayer for Toot and thank her for raising Barack Obama. I think she did an amazing job,” Obama told about 2,500 people at a suburban Denver high school gym.
“This is an emotional time for us,” Obama said. “We were hoping she’d hang in there but she didn’t. But she knew what was going on.”
Barack Obama announced the news from the campaign trail in Charlotte, N.C. The joint statement with his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng said Dunham died late Sunday night after a battle with cancer.
Obama learned of Dunham’s death Monday morning while he was campaigning in Jacksonville, Fla. He went ahead with campaign appearances. The family said a private ceremony would be held later.
It was Michelle Obama’s third solo stump appearance in Colorado this fall. She has also traveled here with her husband, most recently introducing him Saturday at a rally in Pueblo.
After talking briefly about Dunham and family, Michelle Obama repeated common campaign themes, saying Americans are struggling financially and are seeking change. She asked supporters to “do whatever it takes” to deliver Colorado’s nine electoral votes to Obama.
“If you’ve already voted,” she said, “go help others. That’s our task tomorrow: Find the new voter.”
Colorado voted twice for President Bush, but Democrats have been intensely wooing the state.
The GOP has taken note. John McCain was headed to Colorado for an Election Day appearance, and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, was holding a rally Monday evening in Colorado Springs.
