As a stream of Democratic candidates flock to Los Angeles this month in what will likely be their last effort to raise money before the midterm election, in November they will meet Hollywood supporters who are less tired than before with the prospects of the game. : Call them cautious. Maybe a little more optimistic.
President Joe Biden’s recent legislative victory, coupled with Donald Trump’s renewed focus on chaos, gave industry Democrats reason to believe the party will not go back to the past. The Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v Wade has sparked a new wave of activism in the industry, raising hopes that this will translate into better business and perhaps coincide with what the Republican Party expects.
Pat Ryan’s victory in New York’s purple constituency last week was seen as something of a wake-up call, as it highlighted the Supreme Court’s abortion decision and the need to protect the right of choice of women. women. And while keeping the House still seems like a distant prospect, the chances in the Senate are better, especially given the missteps of Republican candidates in key contests, including Dr. Oz’s Pennsylvania, as their Democratic rivals point out their extreme positions.
In the coming weeks, candidates like Beto O’Rourke will face Texas Governor Greg Abbott; Mandela Barnes, who is racing to oust Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH), who is looking for a vacancy in Ohio, plan to run a fundraiser in Los Angeles, as administration officials as Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Hopefully, it will help attract donors and supporters to various events. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), facing a close race for re-election, raised money last week in an event with Cheri Beasley, who is seeking a seat in the US Senate from North Carolina.
Characters like Carole King and Bradley Whitford have already put their names in fundraising emails, while Hollywood’s money is pouring into countless super PACs trying to protect the Democratic majority.
“In terms of the level of excitement and awakening of people, it is day and night” compared to the beginning of the year, said Matthew Littman, a strategist who heads the working group for the entertainment industry, actors, writers and other creatives. . This is not a fundraising entity.
Ken Solomon, president of the Tennis Channel, which has endorsed several candidates, said there is “a cautious and measured optimism” about the match prospects, or the idea that the historical pattern of medium-term defeats for the match in power “can”. It doesn’t swing that hard. “
According to him, the decision of the Supreme Court “justified what for many was unthinkable. Abortion rights and reproductive rights are what really resonate with people about the reality we are in. “
As bleak as the prospects looked bleak earlier this summer, the Democrats are actually doing solid numbers, even from the entertainment industry.
Donors from the entertainment world had contributed nearly $ 45 million to federal candidates and committees in mid-August, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. It is expected to match the more than $ 58 million raised in the 2018 cycle, when many Democrats campaigned for then-President Donald Trump. According to CRP, 88% of show business money went to Democrats in this cycle and 12% to Republicans. As unmistakable as the numbers are, the exceptions are the Motion Picture Association and corporate media PACs, which, as they traditionally do, spread wealth between parties.
The biggest beneficiary, according to the data, is Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), who has raised more than $ 875,000 from industry sources while battling Herschel Walker for an entire term in the US Senate.
Theater producer Ted Snowdon Productions made the largest contribution of just over $ 2.5 million to all Democrats, followed by Fox Corp. employees with nearly $ 2.4 million, of which 52.5% went to Republican candidates.
What has helped to increase the numbers, however, has been the hefty spending of super PACs, which can raise unlimited contributions from donors.
One of the largest donors to the Senate Majority PAC, which seeks to maintain or expand the Democratic majority in the Senate, is Netflix’s Reed Hastings, which made $ 2 million available. Other notable contributors included Seth MacFarlane and Jeff Scholl, who contributed $ 1 million each. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) may return this fall to raise another SMP fund.
Haim and Cheryl Saban each donated $ 500,000 to the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, created to raise money for the Democratic National Committee and state parties, and McFarlane donated $ 365,000. Other six-figure contributors include Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and Keith Capshaw, JJ Abrams and Cathy McGrath, Byron Allen and Jake Kasdan.
Nancy Pelosi was the most prolific and effective fundraiser for Democrats, as they have a slim majority in the House. According to a source, she will return for an event on September 10 at Alan and Cindy Horne’s home.
Nancy Pelosi’s Victory Fund attracted significant contributions from the likes of Joan Ganz Kuhn, one of the founders of Sesame Workshop, who donated $ 266,300, and Saban and MacFarlane received roughly equal amounts. According to the Federal Election Commission, Katzenberg made $ 263,400 this year and $ 263,400 last year, while Spielberg made $ 133,150 in June and $ 150,000 last year. Others who wrote six-figure checks include Allen and Marcy Carrey.
Andy Spahn, political advisor to Gonring Lynn Spahn, said he was “very optimistic” about the Democrats’ chances of taking the Senate or extending their majority, while “the House will be tougher, but the political climate has improved dramatically for Democrats in the last few weeks.
“Donor enthusiasm remains strong. Donors understand that the stakes could not be higher, “he said via email.” The next two years are really about saving our democracy. “
Adam McKay, who avoided the fundraising circuit and discussed the influence of money in politics, said he is now more optimistic after Biden issued an executive order to cancel some student debts, which he considers “exactly the right thing. to do”. that people have asked for ”. During the years”. (See the sidebar here).
An entertainment industry task force plans to travel to Michigan to promote the vote, where actors, writers and directors are looking to support candidates like Jocelyn Benson, who is looking for another term as secretary of state, and Gretchen Whitmer. , who is seeking re-election. . . Governor.
“People were really exhausted and desperate” earlier in the year, and it seemed to peak with the decision to have an abortion, Littman said.
The caution is due to the fact that there are two months to go until the elections. Polls in 2020 predicted a Democratic victory in Congress, but the party lost seats in the House. And many Democratic candidates still face a flood of announcements from Republican caucuses and Senate PACs in states like Ohio and Wisconsin.
Biden, meanwhile, spoke Thursday night about the “ongoing battle for the soul of the nation”, linking the theme of his campaign to Republicans’ embrace of an extreme “ultra MAGA” agenda. As Trump continues to destroy social media with a barrage of messages, there is a sense that the upcoming election may be less than a referendum on the current White House occupant.
If the message is that the GOP has adopted extremist positions and candidates, Solomon said, “it is … a better opportunity for common sense and common sense voters.”
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
