Joe Biden visits Southern California to help Democrats in tight races

Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Southern California on Friday to help Democrats in tight races as the campaign season headed into the final weekend before Tuesday’s election.

Biden was scheduled to attend a private event for the Democratic National Committee at a home in San Diego on Friday night.

On Saturday morning, he plans to kick off a get-out-the-vote rally for Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego). Peters is locked in a tight race with Republican Carl DeMaio, a businessman and former San Diego city councilman.

The event will start at 8:30 a.m. at the offices of the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

At noon Saturday, Biden is scheduled to stump for Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar. Aguilar is vying with Republican military veteran and businessman Paul Chabot to succeed retiring Rep. Gary Miller (R-Rancho Cucamonga) in an Inland Empire district.

State Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), who is running for California secretary of state, will also attend the get-out-the-vote rally, to be held at Colton High School Ken Hubbs Gymnasium in Colton.

They will be joined by Eric Bauman, chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, which is kicking off a weekend-long campaign to get voters to cast ballots.

Peters, three other freshman Democratic House members and Aguilar are in hard-fought contests for congressional seats in California.

Follow @jeanmerl for the latest in Southern California politics news.