Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and actor Sean Hayes are set to host a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg next week, the latest in a series of Hollywood fundraisers for the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
The reception, which will take place in Los Angeles on July 25th at the home of NBC Universal executive Kevin MacLellan and his husband, Brian Curran, will reportedly focus on LGBT issues in Hollywood, as Buttigieg vies to become America’s first gay president. Some of the planned attendees include Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, and Chelsea Handler, while tickets for the event range from $250 to $2,800.
The star-studded event is further evidence of Buttigieg’s ability to build an impressive war chest, having already hosted a range of Hollywood fundraisers with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and other powerful industry figures. He has also successfully courted donors in Silicon Valley, having impressed various young tech executives in the San Francisco area.
As well as the aforementioned fundraiser, Buttigieg will also use his upcoming visit to California to hold other events, including “Lunch with Mayor Pete” and “A Conversation with Mayor Pete,” both of which will also cost attendees up to $2,500.
Despite attracting widespread support from LGBT donors, many privately harbor concerns about his credibility as a candidate. Last month, Politico reported that many of Hollywood’s top LGBT donors and power players believe he stands little chance of winning the Democratic Party’s nomination, and are instead looking to back candidates with the strongest records of defending LGBT rights,
According to recent data from RealClearPolitics, Pete Buttigieg has fallen well behind other Democratic candidates, with a polling average of just 4.8 percent, placing him well behind the likes of Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders.
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