A Los Angeles benefit for Democratic Party efforts, co-hosted by Jeffrey Katzenberg, raised nearly $2.5 million Friday with President Joe Biden in attendance.
“The money raised today will help get people to the polls on election day in November,” said Katzenberg. “Just the idea of Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell in charge should be enough to get people out to vote.”
Biden has been in Los Angeles this week for the Summit of the Americas, which concludes Friday.
The event is being held at the home of Ellen Bronfman Hauptman and Andrew Hauptman. Andrew Hauptman is the chair of Andell Holdings and was a top Biden-Harris national fundraiser.
The funds raised by the group of roughly 30 donors will go to the Democratic National Committee’s Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, which provides funding to state Democratic parties and their grassroots infrastructure.
“Ellen and I are proud to open our home in support of Democratic Party efforts throughout the country,” said Hauptman. “With the Senate and House in play and so many other critical races this November up and down the ballot, we need to do all we can to support President Biden right now.”
Events led by Hauptman and Katzenberg have raised more than $13 million in support of the Biden-Harris campaign, and nearly $5 million for the Senate Majority PAC in the last election cycle.
Katzenberg is also a major fundraiser for mayoral candidate Karen Bass, who will run against Rick Caruso after both advanced in the primary earlier this week. He has also supported Robert Luna, a former Long Beach police chief who is running against incumbent Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
The event’s organizers were Jennifer Gonring, Jennifer Lin and Andy Spahn at GLS, a strategic consulting firm with offices in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.