By Staff Reporter |
Democratic congressman and Senate candidate Ruben Gallego recently held a fundraiser in California with Hollywood elites, a move punctuating his continued reliance on out-of-state donors to bankroll his campaign.
Deadline first reported that Gallego had his fundraising event at the home of political strategist Donna Bojarsky, with major guests including Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, author and former TV executive and member of the Cal State University board of trustees; Christy Callahan, former creative executive and TV writer; former Rep. Howard Berman; actress and dancer Stephani Sosa; Flame Ventures’ Tony Krantz; and attorney and former Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel.
According to OpenSecrets, over 75 percent of Gallego’s funds come from outside Arizona: nearly $11.7 million, compared to just over $4.8 million from Arizona.
A majority of the millions from Arizona came from the Phoenix-Mesa area (over $2 million) and Tucson (over $1 million).
Aside from Arizona, the other top four individual states to contribute to Gallego’s campaign were: California at $3.5 million, New York at $1.4 million, Massachusetts at $911,000, and Texas at $812,000.
Top out-of-state metro areas were New York ($915,000), Los Angeles-Long Beach ($731,000), and Washington, D.C. ($726,000).
In March, Gallego attended another Democratic mega-fundraiser out of state, that time in New York City. His presence was marked by George Soros’ son and now-leader of the Democratic dark money empire, Alex, in an Instagram post, where Gallego and Alex stood alongside the famed playwright who played co-host to the fundraiser, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“Kicking off campaign season with my co-host [Lin Manuel] for congressman Ruben Gallego’s Senate run in Arizona,” wrote the young Soros. “Ruben has an impressive life story and the stakes of this year’s election couldn’t be higher, they’re existential.”
The Soros family has given over $13,000 to Gallego’s campaign.
According to the FEC’s latest data through March, Gallego’s top Arizona donors include Nathan Sandler, an investor out of Paradise Valley; Donald Martin, chairman of Competitive Engineering out of Tucson; William Lewis, an investor out of Phoenix; Charlotte Hwang, president of Competitive Engineering out of Tucson; Timothy Riester, chief executive and owner of Riester Advertising out of Phoenix; Francis Najafi, CEO of Pivotal Group out of Phoenix and his wife, Cheryl; Gene Banucci out of Scottsdale; James O’Keefe, a consultant out of Scottsdale; William Cook out of Phoenix; Donalyn Mikles out of Sedona; James Pederson with the Pederson Group out of Phoenix; Jim Mapstead with Accurate Signs & Engraving out of Phoenix; William Humphreys a rancher out of Tucson; Subhash Thathi out of Mesa; Gilbert Lara out of Prescott; Kathleen Counihan, a gallery owner out of Tucson; Nieves Riedel with Riedel Construction Company out of San Luis; Kent Heath, vice president of Bruker out of Scottsdale; Phyllis Banucci out of Scottsdale; Karl Obergh, president/CEO of Ritoch-Powell out of Phoenix; Christina Isner out of Scottsdale; Pamela Powers, a physician out of Prescott; Stephen Golden out of Tucson; Pat Deconcini with 4-D Properties out of Tucson; David Young with Trifecta Clinical out of Tucson; Pamela Werth out of Scottsdale; and Reuben Merideth, a veterinarian out of Tucson.
Among Gallego’s top individual out-of-state donors as of March were Arthur (Art) Lipson, an investor out of Utah, Ronald (Ron) Conway, an investor out of California; Rogelio Sosa, the CEO of OURO out of Texas; David Trone, a Democratic congressman out of Maryland, and his wife, June; Vincent Ryan, multimillionaire chairman of Schooner Capital out of Massachusetts, and his wife, Carla Meyer; Ken Olum, professor of Tufts University out of Massachusetts; Molly Munger, a California attorney; Charles Mostov, a California attorney; Roger McNamee, an investor and retired venture capitalist out of California; Anthony Maceira and Andres Guillemard, Puerto Rican lawyers; Anne Lovett out of New Hampshire; George Krupp, co-founder and CEO of Berkshire Property Advisors out of Massachusetts; Chris Hughes, senior fellow at the Institute on Race, Power And Political Economy in New York; Mitzi Henderson, former president of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) National; Robert Haselow, a doctor with Minneapolis Radiation Oncology out of Minnesota, and his wife, Justine; Stephen English, a retired attorney out of California; Joseph Cotchett Jr., a California attorney; Sundae and Mark Breen out of Connecticut; Joseph Albright, a retired journalist out of Wyoming and husband to the late Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State; and Oscar Ramirez, government relations personnel with Fulcrum Public Affairs out of Washington, D.C.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
