Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is enlisting late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and DJ Khaled this month to help raise funds for Democrats as the midterm elections fast approach.
DJ Khaled will perform at the fundraising event on September 25 with proceeds going to the Democratic Midterm Victory Fund, a Garcetti-founded political action committee aimed at boosting Democrats running competitive races ahead of November. The event will be emceed by ABC funnyman Jimmy Kimmel, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, at the Avalon in Hollywood. Event organizers hope to pull in “at least $1 million, or $100,000 for each of 10 state Democratic party organizations,” according to reports.
In a tweet promoting the fundraiser, Kimmel said Monday that it was going to be “weird.”
“I saw, among other things, the right wing in this country was pouring years of money and organizing and assistance into local and state parties and elections, and Democrats weren’t,” Eric Garcetti said in a statement to Variety. “We kind of woke up one day, not only with the White House not in our hands, but wondering why both houses of Congress, gubernatorial seats, and state legislatures suddenly weren’t in Democratic hands, in a country where more Americans voted for Democrats than they do for Republicans.”
Garcetti, who is considering a 2020 White House run, is planning a string of appearances in the battleground state of Ohio next week. His scheduled stops on the three-day swing beginning Thursday include Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus. The two-term Democrat intends to work with party volunteers to rally voters in advance of the November elections, and he’ll also speak at a fundraiser for Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown.
A statement says Garcetti wants to hear from residents and mayors “about the challenges they face and … how we can work together.” The 47-year-old mayor would face long odds of winning the party nomination. He’s already visited the important presidential election states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Garcetti plans a decision on his candidacy by March.
In an interview with TMZ last month, the Los Angeles Mayor said the time has come to begin talking about reading impeachment proceeding against the president. “I think it’s time to start talking about that, absolutely. We have a president who said, ‘I knew nothing,’ while he was on Air Force One, and who just yesterday said, ‘Of course I knew about it, and it’s not an offense.’ Gotta get your story straight,” Eric Garcetti told the gossip website.
“Often times, it’s not even the offense, it’s the cover-up. And, you know, I think this is something that should inform people in November at the ballot. We don’t want a liar. We want somebody who can shoot straight [and] tell the truth,” he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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