GREENWICH — In a frantic pace of four fundraisers in 28 hours, vice presidential candidate Tim Walz rolled into wealthy Fairfield County Sunday night and raised $1.8 million from the state’s top Democrats.
Walz led the reception with more than 250 staff at the Greenwich home of Gov. Ned Lamont, who has developed a personal friendship with Walz through their work as fellow governors.
Lamont announced the totals to the crowd gathered under a large tent attached to the back of his home in the upscale neighborhood.
“I love this man,” Lamont told the enthusiastic crowd. “He not only has the best interests of the country in mind. He doesn’t just represent the best of American values. He is a good man and a very good friend, and I cannot wait for the day when Vice President Walz speaks to you, Madam President.
Walz thanked the well-heeled crowd several times for coming “on perhaps the most beautiful day of the year on a Sunday evening” to raise money for the campaign in which he and presidential candidate Kamala Harris are competing against former President Donald J. Trump and the US. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio.
“I know this is a preach-to-the-choir moment, but I’m telling people that our recital is in sixteen days, and the choir needs to sing and sing now,” Walz said as the audience applauded. “The contrast couldn’t be greater. … A lot of people in America are super busy, and their kids are in school. People have started listening in the last sixteen days.
Walz told the crowd that multiple candidates will win in the Connecticut races, as Democrats have won every U.S. Senate race since 1988 and have held the entire House delegation since Republican Chris Shays lost in 2008. While Connecticut has relatively few votes in the Electoral College and is not a battleground state, both Democrats and Republicans regularly travel here to collect large sums of campaign contributions.
“Look, you’re going to win here,” Walz told the crowd. “We know you do it. And we don’t see this as an ATM, but I do see this as a group of people who are committed to the rest of the country.”
The money was raised Sunday evening by the Harris Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that can accept contributions from individuals up to $926,000, and a political action committee up to $410,000. Only a small portion goes directly to the Harris for President campaign. As much as $41,300 per person then goes to the Democratic National Committee, and then as much as $510,000 per person is distributed to state Democratic parties across the country — hence Walz’s comment about the rest of the country.
Walz said the money, for example, is being used for get-out-the-vote efforts in places like Saginaw, Michigan — where he campaigned Sunday morning — that could make a difference in deciding who becomes the next president.
The big event on Sunday was aimed at raising as much money as possible during the race which culminates on November 5. The Harris campaign has already raised $1 billion this year.
Those who contributed or raised $100,000 in Greenwich received the title of “event chair” and had four attendees take photos with Walz.
An updated invitation stated that all prizes up to $50,000 had sold out. For $50,000, two attendees could have their photo taken with Walz as host. Co-hosts were listed at $25,000, while ‘champions’ paid $10,000 to get preferential seating for one participant. Couples could attend the general reception for $5,000, while the lowest price of $1,000 per person had a “limited quantity” that also sold out, according to the invitation.
The highly partisan crowd laughed as Walz took a swipe at Trump, especially for donning an apron at McDonald’s on Sunday and working part of a shift at the drive-through window in Pennsylvania’s battlefield. The event was prompted by Harris’ statement that she worked at McDonald’s for a summer job during her college years.
“I said, ‘Can you imagine that guy trying to make a McFlurry at McDonald’s or something?’ Walz said. ‘I think I’ve screwed him over enough. He went today and he looked as stupid as I thought he would. So I said to my team, “Can you imagine that guy skydiving?” Let’s see if I can lure him into it.’
Former teacher, now governor
Walz acknowledged that U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes was in the crowd after speaking before him for minutes. He noted that Hayes was national teacher of the year, which is a difficult feat.
“As teachers we have a lot in common. … I was a finalist in Minnesota and wasn’t selected,” Walz said, prompting laughter from the crowd. “I said, ‘Yes, it proves that it’s a lot harder to be teacher of the year than it is to be governor of Minnesota.’ That is the truth.”
Walz also thanked U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, whose names were included on the invitation and served on the host committee.
In a hectic weekend pace, Walz’s schedule required him to wake up Sunday morning in Michigan and go to a church service. He then flew to Boston for an afternoon fundraiser, then flew again to Westchester County Airport before catching a motorcade to nearby Greenwich on Sunday evening.
The pace will continue. Television host Joy Behar announced that Walz will appear on “The View” on ABC on Monday morning. He will next attend lunch and evening fundraising receptions in New York City, according to the Harris-Walz campaign.
Friends with Lamont
Like other supporters, Lamont says Walz is a very personable colleague, citing golfing in Florida at an event with fellow governors.
“I played a round of golf with him and just kept laughing,” Lamont told reporters in August. “He appeared at the first tee a little more Rodney Dangerfield than Tiger Woods. Hit the ball long, a little left of center, and it was the most fun 18 holes of golf I’ve ever had.”
During the weekend before Walz was chosen as vice presidential candidate, Lamont said he texted Walz “back and forth,” along with receiving a voicemail from the Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff.
“I just love that guy,” Lamont said of Walz. “Let’s start with someone who is a very good person, who is not in love with himself, but with the country. I think he’s reflected that throughout his career, and when you sit down at a Governor’s Association meeting, he’s the guy I always want to sit next to. I learn a lot and have fun.”
Greenwich Fundraisers
Although Connecticut has relatively few Electoral College votes, political candidates have historically traveled to the state for major fundraising, especially in Fairfield County and Litchfield County.
In early June, Democrats gathered in northwest Greenwich at the nearly 15-acre estate of Richard Plepler, the former CEO of Home Box Office, to attend one of President Joe Biden’s last fundraisers before dropping out of the race stepped up and showed his support. Harris.
Following previous practice, the Biden campaign did not release details on the number of donors or how much was raised at the event. However, Lamont said organizers had hoped to “triple or quadruple” the total raised at Lamont’s home in October 2019, which was reported to be more than $450,000. At that point in 2019, Biden was struggling to gain support among Democrats, ultimately losing in Iowa and New Hampshire before staging a major comeback in South Carolina with the support of longtime U.S. House veteran Jim Clyburn.
Biden also traveled to Greenwich in June 2023, at the home of Stephen Mandel Jr., a longtime hedge fund manager who founded Lone Pine Capital in 1997. Public records show that Mandel contributed $1 million in 2020 to the Lincoln Project, which is run by former Republican strategists who helped block Trump’s bid for re-election.
Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
