First Lady Michelle Obama to raise money for husband in Springfield, Pittsfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - First Lady Michelle Obama will be coming to Western Massachusetts next month to raise money for her husband’s re-election campaign.

Northampton City Councilor Paul Spector, a member of the host committee, told 22News that the First Lady will host a fundraiser at the Basketball Hall of Fame on August 3.

Tickets for the fundraiser are $2,500 each.

The First Lady will also appear in Berkshire County that day. Host committee member John Puccini told 22News that she will host a fundraiser with singer James Taylor at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, which will be followed by a roundtable at Governor Deval Patrick's compound in Richmond.

Though Massachusetts is considered safely Democratic, it has played a large role in the campaign, which pits Obama against former Governor Mitt Romney. Both candidates have raised money in the state, and Romney maintains his campaign’s headquarters in Boston.

Spector said that the decision to hold the Springfield fundraiser came in part due to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, which has made it easier for candidates to raise money.

While Obama far outraised GOP candidate John McCain in the 2008 election, he is currently lagging behind Mitt Romney in the money race.