[NYT] WASHINGTON — Michelle Obama has bridled for years at the confines of life in the White House and has tried to steer clear of the partisan messiness that has consumed her husband and is fueling this year’s bare-knuckled presidential contest.

But this week, Mrs. Obama will wade into the campaign fray on behalf of Hillary Clinton, putting her broad popularity and reputation for authenticity to work for a candidate who has suffered from a lack of both.

At an event in northern Virginia on Friday, Mrs. Obama will urge voters to register ahead of the state’s Oct. 17 deadline, the first of what aides say will be a series of appearances in the coming weeks in support of Mrs. Clinton.

Mrs. Obama’s steps into the campaign spotlight underscore her transformation from a once-reluctant political spouse into a confident public figure, a role she says she has embraced more fully during President Obama’s second term.

Mrs. Obama’s communications director, Caroline Adler Morales, said the first lady’s focus would be on encouraging voters in swing states, particularly young people and African-Americans, to register and vote.

Her message, Ms. Morales said, will emphasize “the qualifications and demeanor a president need the values we hold dear as Americans and our shared hopes for the future.”

Mrs. Obama previewed her pitch in July during a Prime Time Speech At The Democratic National, in which she delivered a testimonial for Mrs. Clinton as a leader who could be trusted to carry on Mr. Obama’s legacy. It was also a quiet but sharp denunciation of Donald Trump, whom she did not name, in which she took aim at his campaign slogan and derided him as a cynic who viewed the world’s challenges in terms of 140-character posts on Twitter.

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