President Barack Obama will kick off his 2012 campaign fundraising efforts later this week in his hometown of Chicago, which will also serve as the headquarters for his campaign.
The president, who raised a whopping $750 million in 2008 and may raise as much as $1 billion this time around, formally announced his re-election last week. The Democratic National Committee says that on Thursday he travels to Chicago where he'll hold a fundraising kick-off at the Navy Pier. Ticket prices will start at $100, making the event relatively accessible to supporters compared with the high-dollar events he often attends.
Obama also will attend two more exclusive events that night at Chicago restaurants MK Chicago and Nine, according to a Democratic official who spoke anonymously ahead of a formal announcement.
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