Jill Biden visits Hmong farmers in St. Paul in swing through Twin Cities and Rochester

Former Second Lady Jill Biden met with farmers at the Hmong Village Shopping Center in St. Paul Thursday as part of her second Minnesota campaign swing this month for her husband, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Among those she met were farmers Leng Xiong and Sue Lee, who opened a fruit and vegetable stand in May. The married couple said traffic has been slow because of the COVID-19 pandemic, an issue Democrats have sought to emphasize in the election.

"I hope this pandemic goes away pretty soon, or else we're all going to go out of business," Xiong said.

After a moment with Xiong and representatives from the Hmong American Farmers Association, Biden headed to Augsburg University in Minneapolis. There, she and Gwen Walz, Minnesota's first lady, spoke with about 25 students.

Biden commended the state on its high early voting turnout, and she encouraged students to vote if they had not already. "One vote could be the difference between winning and losing a precinct, one precinct can win a state, and one state, this state, could decide our future for generations to come," she said.

Biden concluded her visit to Minnesota later in the day in Rochester. She was last in Minnesota on Oct. 3 in St. Paul. Eric Trump, a son of President Donald Trump, headlined an event in Northfield earlier this week.

The husband of Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, Douglas Emhoff, was set to appear alongside Biden on Thursday, but he was forced to cancel after one of Harris' top aides tested positive for COVID-19.

Zoë Jackson covers young and new voters at the Star Tribune through the Report For America program, supported by the Minneapolis Foundation. 612-673-7112 • @zoemjack