When Kamala Harris was running for California attorney general in 2010, a young professionals group threw a campaign fundraiser at a now-defunct nightclub in Los Angeles called h.wood. Hundreds attended for a door fee of $45. “The nightclub was so packed out, she had to stand on top of a table in order to be heard,” says then event co-chair Todd Hawkins of Hawkins Mikita, a social impact group that connects Hollywood with political and philanthropic causes.
Hawkins has been active in leading various incarnations of young political organizations since 2006 when Gen44, a fundraising group that charged a $44 entry fee for such casual outings as nightclub events and basketball games was founded to support Barack Obama as the 44th president. Taking a page from bigwig Hollywood bundlers like Jeffrey Katzenberg and Haim Saban, Hawkins adopted the model of must-attend events with stars who connect with the younger demographic of Gen44. Celebrities like Jared Leto, Olivia Wilde, Kerry Washington, Darren Aronofsky and John Legend have attended, helped organize or performed at such events.
From left: Todd Hawkins, celebrity photographer Mike Rosenthal, Chrissy Teigen, Kamala Harris and John Legend at a young professionals fundraiser in 2016 in Los Angeles. COURTESY OF TODD HAWKINS
In Los Angeles, where donors and bundlers raise multiples of millions for their candidates, one may be inclined to overhype the cool factor while underestimating the political clout of groups like Gen44 — which later morphed into Young Professionals for Hillary Clinton, Young Professionals for Joe Biden and Young Professionals for Kamala Harris for several campaigns, including the current Democratic presidential nomination. But they would be wrong. While such groups have collectively raised over $10 million from small donations, the real prize is in the candidates connecting with this elusive demographic and the energy it brings. “The excitement of the culture around Kamala Harris is evident in what we’re seeing right now, in viral videos, memes on TikTok, Brat, Megan Thee Stallion performing at the rally in Atlanta and things she says, like ‘Falling out of a coconut tree’ being remixed into music,” says Hawkins, who notes that he hasn’t seen this level of energy since 2012 with Obama. “She knows that the importance, power and energy of young people is so necessary to campaigns. And young people are excited about her joy and dancing, all of that.”
Hawkins, who now serves on Harris’ National Finance Committee, under which all the bundlers are housed, will be first out of the gate with a grassroots fundraising event for the campaign. This time, the doors will open for everyone, not just young people. Only 10 days after Harris was endorsed by President Biden as his choice for his successor, “A Dance Party for Kamala” will take place at legendary West Hollywood nightclub The Abbey on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 8 p.m. Hosted by Hawkins, his business partner Justin Mikita and The Abbey owner Tristan Schukraft, tickets are priced at $25 each to facilitate a high turnout of politically minded Angelenos, “be they seniors who like to dance or people voting for the first time,” says Hawkins. The money goes directly to the campaign, the Harris Victory Fund. Jesse Tyler Ferguson (who is married to Mikita), Glee‘s Darren Criss, Bachelor alum Colton Underwood, RuPaul’s Drag Race star Jinkx Monsoon, Only Murders in the Building‘s Ashley Park, music artist Vincent and other celebrities and influencers will be special guests. The sense of urgency is real, says Hawkins: “We’re trying to quickly organize. In the past, we had two years ahead of the campaign to prepare, and now we only have 100 days or less. So we thought we’d kick off the movement with an easy dance party that’s open to everyone.”
Angelenos can expect more fundraisers from this grassroots arm, which Hawkins says is planning more of these “unique events — we’re thinking about Artists for Kamala, Chefs for Kamala….” And while he hopes such events will add to the coffers being rapidly filled by donations from Zoom calls held by such identity groups as Black women and “White dudes” for Harris — totaling $81 million raised over several days — he remains cautious, noting that it takes $1 billion to run for president, and that former president Trump raised $400 million in the 48 hours following the assassination attempt. “And now the stakes are so much greater,” Hawkins says, “but there’s confidence and excitement and we want to make sure everyone has something that they feel they can do and an opportunity to contribute.”
