A special fundraising reception is being hosted by prominent Indian-Americans for President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign in Silicon Valley.
The event highlights the growing influence of the Indian American community in US politics, especially in supporting Democratic candidates. The range of ticket prices from $6,600 to $100,000 is to draw rich executives as an intersection of technology and politics.
The rich and famous Indian-Americans in Silicon Valley are all set for a fundraising reception for US President Joe Biden on Friday at the home of billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, and his wife Neeru Khe, in Portola Valley, California.
It is one of the biggest events by Indian-Americans in this election season for President Biden who will be running for re-election this November as the Democratic candidate.
Fund-raising and other support from the Indian-Americans community is likely to play a vital role in the presidential campaign of President Biden.
“This fund-raising event marks a significant milestone for Indian Americans’ burgeoning role in US politics. Their active participation, alongside prominent Silicon Valley tech executives, underscores a notable convergence of influence and support for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election bid.
“The enthusiastic response from the Indian American community underscores their unwavering support for President Biden and Vice President Harris. With several members of the community already signed up to attend the event on Friday, their presence reaffirms their dedication to ensuring a successful re- election campaign. Their collective endorsement reflects a broader trend of strong Democratic backing within the community, further solidifying their position as a crucial voting bloc. More than 4.4 million Indian Americans are the backbone of a strong US-India relationship and this relationship has been strengthened under President Biden,” Bhutoria said.
The upcoming fund-raiser in Silicon Valley, slated for Friday, is anticipated to attract prominent Indian American figures from the US tech industry, offering contribution ticket prices ranging from $6,600 to $100,000. Notably, these executives are renowned for their innovation and influence, bringing not only financial backing but also invaluable expertise and networks to the event.
Their participation underscores the convergence of technology and politics, emphasizing the significance of forging connections between these domains to drive positive change and advance support for the re-election of Biden-Harris.
The involvement of Khosla, a legendary Indian American venture capitalist and entrepreneur, in hosting the fund-raiser for President Biden during his California visit is viewed as a significant draw for other affluent Indian Americans, both in Silicon Valley and across the nation, prompting discussions about organizing additional fund-raising initiatives.
“This event is certainly significant, both for President Biden and for the Indian American community. Biden, though ahead of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in fund-raising so far, is under pressure to increase his war chest as the campaign heads into its final grueling months since most polls show him trailing, or neck-to-neck with Trump,” says Robinder Sachdev, president of Delhi based think tank Imagindia Institute, and one of the founders of US India Political Action Committee, a bipartisan non-profit organisation in the US. He adds that the Indian American community, even though well known to make high-value contributions to American politicians, has never held a mega-fundraiser, running into high millions so far. “It will be important to see how much money the Biden campaign will bring in from Friday’s fund-raiser – the bar has been set very high with a recent fundraiser in Florida, where Trump pulled in over $50 million, and a previous fundraiser by Biden in New York, where he is reported to have pulled in over $30 million,” Sachdev said.
Indian-Americans votes will certainly be crucial for Biden in the seven swing states in the US including Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona; where in some cases a few thousand votes here or there could make or break the candidacy of either contestant.
“According to a report two days ago in Axios, the Biden-Trump election likely will be decided by roughly 6 per cent of voters in just six states. Thus, Indian American voters in these states will especially be very important for the Biden campaign,” Sachdev said.
Traditionally large majority of the Indian American community has voted Democrat, however, support for Republican candidates too has been growing. According to rough estimates, in 2020, perhaps 30 per cent of the Indian American vote went to Trump, and 70 per cent to Biden.
Bhutoria, who has been involved in Biden’s campaign since its inception, however, is confident that Friday’s fund-raising event and the series of events this week on the US West Coast represent a pivotal moment where influential figures from both the Indian American community and Silicon Valley converge in early support of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s re-election campaign.
