Yo-Yo Ma, Jon Bon Jovi to Raise Cash for Harris in Final Stretch

(Bloomberg) - A slew of celebrities and politicians are set to raise cash for Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign in the monthlong stretch before Election Day.

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Notable names such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, musician Jon Bon Jovi, DJ and record producer D-Nice, chef and restaurateur Alice Waters, lawyer and political activist George Conway and former Vice President Al Gore are scheduled to headline or host events, according to a list of fundraisers, a blitz that will help Harris expand her cash advantage over her rival Donald Trump in a race that remains exceedingly tight.

The Harris campaign has deployed a raft of celebrities to help fundraise and energize voters. Last weekend, Harris raised about $55 million in a pair of California events that featured performances by Alanis Morissette and Halle Bailey and included celebrity attendees Sterling K. Brown, Demi Lovato and Stevie Wonder. Harris made rare appearances at both, in addition to a Manhattan fundraiser earlier in September, which also hauled in $27 million.

The Democratic National Convention last month featured an array of other pop culture icons — including television executive and host Oprah Winfrey, who interviewed Harris last month, and musicians Stevie Wonder, John Legend and P!NK. Harris has also received notable endorsements from pop star Taylor Swift and singer Bruce Springsteen.

The Harris campaign has dozens of fundraisers scheduled for October, also enlisting more traditional allies such as governors and congressional lawmakers to headline events across the country and rally deep-pocketed donors.

Trump earlier this week made a swing through Texas oil country, as he seeks to narrow the cash gap with Harris. On Wednesday, he attended a luncheon in Midland, Texas — the hub of the prolific Permian basin — followed by a cocktail reception in Houston, the nation's energy capital.

Trump's fundraising base has narrowed, raising the significance of the oil and gas industry for his campaign. It's now the second-biggest source of funding for Trump's 2024 White House bid, according to data analyzed by OpenSecrets.

The Harris campaign's cash lead has been growing. The vice president began September with $404 million in the bank, compared to $295 million for Trump, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The Trump campaign said it raised $160 million in September, and spent more than it raised for a second month in a row. The Harris team has not yet announced their fundraising totals for last month.

The big financial advantage has allowed her to spend an average of about $5 million more a day than Trump's campaign, which has outsourced its ground game and much of its air game to super PACs and other groups in an effort to keep up.

Recent polls have shown a tight race, with Harris building a slight lead on Trump. A September Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll of swing-state voters found that across the seven states, Harris is ahead by 3 percentage points among likely voters — a lead that's 2 points greater than last month.

-With assistance from Bill Allison and Jennifer A. Dlouhy.

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