Rep. Sara Jacobs has been an unmistakable presence in her San Diego district since long before she began running for re-election this year.

But recently she’s also been showing up in Nevada and a handful of other states.

Mayor Todd Gloria is running hard to win another four-year term at San Diego City Hall. Yet he’s made three brief trips to Nevada as well.

Elected officials and political staff members from San Diego and across California — particularly Democrats — have journeyed to swing states near and far to knock on doors, hand out literature and attend rallies to help their candidates for president, Senate and the House.

Candidates helping campaigns afar is by no means a new phenomenon, especially in deep blue California, which is certain to back Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Rep. Adam Schiff for Senate.

Though a Democratic stronghold, California does have a handful of battleground districts that could determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the House. And those races are not lacking for attention from both political parties.

But states like Nevada could decide whether Harris or former President Donald Trump win the White House and determine who controls the Senate. Both parties have responded accordingly.

High-profile visitors such as Gov. Gavin Newsom can bring volunteers, energize locals and command media attention. Newsom’s frequent out-of-state campaign jaunts to support Joe Biden when the president was still running for re-election triggered repeated questions about whether the California governor was angling to replace the beleaguered incumbent on the ticket.

Newsom steadfastly denied such ambitions back then and has continued to travel beyond his state’s boundaries to campaign for Harris and other Democrats.

Of course, there’s a big difference between a well-known surrogate like Newsom (or Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk, for that matter) and most others.  But the elected officials lending a hand elsewhere tend to face similar political circumstances – either they’re not up for re-election (like Newsom) or expected to easily win their races.

The latter is particularly the case with the well-resourced Jacobs, who is facing a long-shot challenge from Republican El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells in the heavily Democratic 51st Congressional District.

Gloria faces a tougher road against San Diego police Officer Larry Turner, who last month was the beneficiary of a surprise $1 million donation to an independent campaign supporting him from Point Loma attorney Steven Richter. More recently, Richter reportedly kicked in another $450,000.

Two of Gloria’s Nevada trips to support the Democratic ticket were before the dynamics of his race changed — in March and August — when his path to victory seemed more clear. He also went to the Silver State on Sept. 28. Each visit was a day trip.

Political opponents often grouse that elected officials should be staying at home doing their jobs, but, like Gloria’s, these trips tend to be short.

This practice of out-of-towners dropping in to help seemingly has been around forever, but it may feel like it’s more common in recent times. There’s no database that can determine whether it actually is. For one thing, the spread of such activities on social media — often by the visiting politicians themselves — may give the impression it’s happening more than in decades past.

Thad Kousser, political science professor at UC San Diego, said the changed political landscape over the years may encourage more out-of-town campaigning.

The number of battleground states has shrunk as the nation has become more sharply divided along political lines.

“Politicians have always been doing their part in support of the national ticket,” Kousser said. But he noted that “so many states are simply off the playing board, like California has been since about 2000.”

The bottom-line motivation isn’t complicated. Politicians want their cause or the candidate they support to win. Without overlooking their own races, if they’re in a position to go elsewhere to help, many do.

“Savvy politicians know where that will help the most and that’s in battleground states,” Kousser said.

“Politicians want to help allies in their party,” he continued, adding, “and they want to be seen helping them.”

Officials often want to be known as good soldiers for the party. Assisting other candidates by raising money, making an endorsement or just walking precincts often isn’t forgotten.

It’s hard to say how much Gloria brings to the table in Nevada, but, cumulatively, he and other visiting politicians can attract attention and encourage others back home to join them.

After Biden stepped aside and Harris ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket, Gloria’s team stressed the long, close relationship the mayor has with the vice president. That naturally led to speculation about a Harris administration appointment if she’s elected. Gloria’s trips to Nevada may have added more fuel.

The mayor recently sought to throw cold water on that, telling the San Diego Sun that if he’s re-elected, he has the “absolute 100 percent intention of staying here all four years.”

Nevada is a critical state for both parties, with its six electoral votes potentially tipping the election to Trump or Harris. Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is facing a tough challenge from Republican Sam Brown in a pivotal race.

There’s also a ballot measure to amend the Nevada Constitution to recognize a fundamental right to abortion.

Rep. Jacobs is concerned about “the stakes in this election, which we don’t think could be higher,” said aide Lauren McIlvaine.

Jacobs, one of the youngest members of Congress, is a rising star in the Democratic Party, with a growing national profile and a sought-after fundraiser.

In addition to Nevada, she has made campaign appearances in Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire, according to McIlvaine. A trip to Pennsylvania and another one to Michigan are planned.

Jacobs often talks with groups of women voters, young voters and college students, McIlvaine said. In perhaps a sign of the times, the Congress member attended a unique political event with her mother in Minnesota: a pickleball tournament.

“Yes, she played. No, she didn’t win,” McIlvaine said.

What they said

New York Times, final NYT/Sienna College national poll.

“The electorate has rarely seemed so evenly divided.. . . Harris and Trump are locked in a dead heat for the popular vote, 48 percent to 48 percent.”