Stars Show Support for Pete Buttigieg at Gwyneth Paltrow Event
Pete Buttigieg finished a day of fundraising on Thursday at the home of Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk with a reception that drew about 100 people including Bradley Whitford, Rob Reiner and Martin Sheen.
According to a source knowledgeable about the event, other attendees included interior designer Michael Smith and James Costos, former U.S. ambassador to Spain, who just a night earlier hosted Joe Biden at their home during Biden’s first Los Angeles fundraising swing since announcing his candidacy. Many donors are still contributing to multiple candidates before committing in the Democratic primary. Also attending was Sally Yates, the former deputy attorney general.
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Buttigieg spoke and then took a Q&A for about 30 minutes, the source said. Also present was Nicole Avant, the former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, who helped lead Barack Obama’s Southern California fundraising efforts in the 2008 cycle.
Whitford and Amy Landecker also were co-hosts of the event, with tickets starting at $250 per person.
Earlier in the evening, Buttigieg raised money at the home of Claire and Brian Goldsmith. Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg were co-hosts and attended the event, with tickets starting at $250 per person. Claire Goldsmith is an online education administrator; Brian Goldsmith is an investor who has co-hosted a podcast with Katie Couric.
Buttigieg also attended a low-dollar event at the West Hollywood nightspot the Abbey, where he told the crowd how important Medicare was to his parents as they faced serious illness, as they had the security to know that they would not go bankrupt on health care costs. “I want everyone to enjoy that same kind of freedom,” he said. A major issue so far in the Democratic race is whether candidates favor a Medicare for All proposal, or a variation on the Affordable Care Act that includes a public option for health insurance. West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem Lindsey P. Horvath was a co-host.
On Thursday afternoon, Buttigieg headlined a lunchtime fundraiser in Brentwood, co-chaired by Jill Goldman, Vicki Kennedy, Lauren Taschen and Wendy Riva.
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