U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks to reporters outside Primanti Bros. restaurant and bar during a bus campaign tour on August 18, 2024 in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.
Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images
CHICAGO — Major donors to the Harris campaign will attend various VIP events and enjoy exclusive perks at this week’s Democratic National Convention. That includes a private brunch, evening cocktails and a tour of Wrigley Field, according to a schedule obtained by CNBC.
These luxury events are interspersed between the conference's headline speeches and are available to top donors Harris Victory Fundis a Democratic joint fundraising committee that can accept donations well above traditional campaign limits, about $900,000 per donor.
VIP Week kicked off Monday night with a welcome reception at Morgan's on Fulton, a large venue where donors will receive donations from The Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons hotels. Seasons) and wait for the hotel to be picked up here.
Donors are a historic part of every presidential nominating convention, and it's an important opportunity for campaigns to meet and cultivate goodwill from the individuals who provide millions of dollars in funding.
But this week's Democratic VIP donation event in the Windy City seemed more festive than usual.
On August 19, 2024, US President Joe Biden appeared at a drill at the United Center before the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, the United States.
Craig Hudson | Reuters
Part of the reason for this is pent-up energy. The last time the two parties held their nominating conventions in person was in 2016, so donors and campaign fundraising experts hosting nominating conventions are eager to connect this week. But it doesn't end there.
President Joe Biden's difficult decision to drop out of the race in July, and the domino effect it set off, led Chicago and Democrats this week to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Wall. Here's the vote, it's a political fairy tale for high-dollar donors.
On Tuesday morning, they'll be attending the first of several brunches this week. The event was held at the beautiful Chicago History Museum and was billed as a “Victory Trail Brunch and Briefing.”
On Wednesday, we'll take an exclusive tour of Wrigley Field, the legendary home of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs. There, donors can enjoy “batting practice, tours, concessions and more” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. central time, according to the schedule.
A reception for donors will be held at The Exchange, a four-star historic restaurant, before Harris delivers her nomination acceptance speech on Thursday night.
The lavish perks, however, are just part of a broader donor cultivation strategy that has helped Harris secure a record number of donations, large and small.
Within weeks of Biden endorsing Harris last month, Harris' fundraising momentum had surpassed that of her opponent, Republican former President Trump.
Harris' political operation made $310 million in July, most of it after Biden withdrew on the 21st of that month. This helped them start August with $377 million in cash on hand.
Meanwhile, the Trump team raised only $138.7 million in July, less than half of what Harris raised. .
Still, funding started this month at just $327 million, $50 million less than Harris.
