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Democrats have made summer pilgrimages to Nantucket, tapping the wealthy Massachusetts island’s donor class as candidates and party leaders stockpile campaign cash ahead of November.
Nantucket and neighboring Martha’s Vineyard have long been magnets for political fundraising, and Democrats are again tapping the islands’ deep-pocketed donor networks as candidates and party leaders build their war chests ahead of November’s midterm elections.
As of June 30, the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had about $136 million in combined cash on hand, compared with roughly $277 million held by their Republican counterparts, according to federal filings.
This summer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and others have been spotted on the island for fundraising events.
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Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., reportedly went to Nantucket for an Aug. 29 fundraiser hosted by Democratic heavyweight Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, a Biden-appointed U.S. ambassador to Brazil who previously served as ambassador to Portugal under President Bill Clinton, according to the Boston Globe.
The Democratic fundraising circuit extends to neighboring Martha's Vineyard, another exclusive Massachusetts vacation destination.
Former President Barack Obama visited Martha's Vineyard on Aug. 31 for an event hosted by former Attorney General Eric Holder benefiting the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
Wes Moore, a possible 2028 presidential contender, was on Martha’s Vineyard the weekend of Aug. 8 for a DNC fundraiser with DNC Chair Ken Martin.
"Where was Wes Moore last weekend? Not campaigning in Maryland or solving our problems in Annapolis, but speaking at a national Democrat event in Martha’s Vineyard. Wes Moore's priority isn’t Maryland, and it will never be Maryland. His only focus is growing his national profile and running for President in 2028. Elect Dan Cox for a Governor who will put Maryland and the needs of Marylanders first," wrote Maryland GOP at the time.
Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, a Democratic nominee for the open Senate seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, was spotted on Nantucket while the Iowa State Fair was still underway. Turek, had appeared at the fair earlier in the week, did not answer a reporter’s questions about his fundraising stop, according to videos on social media.
Democratic donors Frank Herron and Sandra Urie, who previously hosted then-first lady Jill Biden for a 2022 Democratic National Committee fundraiser at their Nantucket home, hosted Moulton for a Nantucket fundraising brunch on August 2, according to local paper Nantucket Current.
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Michelle Obama was also on the island, on Aug. 23, but was there to promote her book, "The Look," at two sold-out conversations at the Performing Arts Center in Oak Bluffs. The Obama's have had a vacation house on the Vineyard since 2019.
Nantucket has long been a destination for prominent Democrats as well as celebrities, millionaires and billionaires.
Former President Joe Biden and his family have traveled to the island for decades to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Former first lady Jill Biden was also spotted on the island in July to promote her new book, "View From the East Wing: A Memoir."
Republicans have also tapped Nantucket’s deep-pocketed donor circuit. Back in 2022, when Vice President JD Vance was running for Senate, he appeared alongside Florida Senator Rick Scott and fellow Senate candidates Ted Budd, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Herschel Walker for another fundraising jaunt on the affluent island.
The NDRC is focusing on key battlegrounds including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.
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