Within a minute or two, a free Sunday turned into a fundraising frenzy for Dale Schroedel.
Shortly after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, Schroedel — a San Francisco Democratic fundraiser for female candidates — was flooded with texts, calls and emails. From her living room, she began contacting donors for Harris for the first time.
“It just was non-stop … and I barely remember what happened the rest of the day,” said Schroedel, who raised money for Hillary Clinton’s two presidential bids and Rep. Barbara Lee’s U.S. Senate campaign this year. “The day was suddenly gone.”
The feverish fundraising highlights the historical significance of California money in presidential races. For decades, Democrats and Republicans alike have looked to the Golden State’s wealthiest donors. California — boasting ultra-affluent Silicon Valley and star-studded Hollywood — is often the top-giving state.
“When you see candidates making appearances in California, that’s just them making an appearance since they are here raising money,” said Republican consultant Jon Fleischman.
“The term that I prefer to use is performing a ‘cash-ectomy,’ which is really what it is,” he said. “It’s the surgical removal of cash from everybody’s pocket.”
The wealth is already helping Harris, an Oakland native and California’s favorite daughter who has decades-long personal relationships with some of the most prolific fundraisers. Some California Democratic mega donors — many of whom had paused their donations to Biden — pledged hundreds of millions to support Harris. Within 24 hours of…
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