Biden preparing fundraising sprint in December as end of quarter deadline looms
By Arlette Saenz and Donald Judd, CNN
Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden is preparing for a fundraising sprint with at least nine high-dollar fundraisers in early to mid-December, a source familiar with the events told CNN, as the deadline for the final fundraising quarter looms at month’s end.
The push, which includes two events with celebrity lineups, comes as the Biden team looks to boost its campaign coffers heading into 2024. Campaign officials have argued this period has allowed them to focus on raising money for the general election while Republicans continue to spend their money on primary contests in the early months of next year.
The president will need a sizable war chest to compete in the general election, which could once again feature a matchup with his predecessor former President Donald Trump. Recent polling has shown the GOP front-runner leading Biden in hypothetical matchups in key swing states and on the national level.
As part of his year-end fundraising blitz, the president on Tuesday will travel to Boston for a trio of fundraisers, including a concert headlined by James Taylor. Tickets for the “You’ve Got A Friend in Joe” fundraising concert range from $50-7,500, according to an invitation obtained by CNN. The president will also appear at two other campaign finance receptions in the Boston area, one source said.
At the end of the week, Biden will head west for two fundraisers in Los Angeles, including one tapping into the networks of some Hollywood heavyweights, sources familiar with the event said.
The president and first lady, along with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will appear at one December 8 fundraiser hosted by James Costos – a former US ambassador to Spain – and Michael Smith, a celebrity designer who decorated the Obama family’s private quarters at the White House, sources said. The long roster of co-hosts also includes producer Shonda Rhimes, director Stephen Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner and Rick Caruso, the billionaire who ran for mayor of Los Angeles last year.
The president is also slated to speak at two fundraisers in Washington, DC, one in Maryland with the state’s governor, Wes Moore, and another in Philadelphia in the coming weeks, one source said.
Vice President Kamala Harris and campaign surrogates, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Sen. Alex Padilla, and Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, will also do their own fundraisers for the campaign in December.
These high-dollar fundraisers come as the campaign is also looking to reel in more small-dollar donations before the end of the quarter. They’ve recently tried to tap into grassroots donors with fundraising contests to meet the president, first lady and vice president.
November marked the campaign’s best performing month with grassroots donors – individuals giving $200 or less – since Biden announced his reelection bid, a source familiar with the figures said.
“We continue to see sustained enthusiasm from our supporters across the country who understand the stakes of this election and are deeply committed to ensuring the president has the resources we need to win next November,” said Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz. “We’re putting in the work across our fundraising program and look forward to again outperforming the MAGA field.”
The Biden campaign and the Democratic Party raised significant hauls in the first two quarters since Biden announced his reelection bid. The team brought in $72 million in the second quarter and another $71 million in the third quarter, outpacing Trump and the rest of the Republican primary field in the same periods. The president’s political operation, along with the Democratic National Committee, ended the last quarter with $91 million, cash on hand.
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