WASHINGTON — As Kamala Harris’ campaign seeks to win back Democratic donors who withheld support from President Joe Biden, it is finding renewed interest from a sector that has increasingly favored Donald Trump: Silicon Valley.
Democrats say the suggestion that tech sector donors were turning to Republicans was exaggerated. But they agree that Harris — who got her start in politics in California’s Bay Area — helped unlock support that had been on the margins.
“The change that has occurred in the last three days is dramatic,” said Steve Westly, a venture capitalist who ran for governor of California in 2006. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a groundswell of enthusiasm in any country. campaign I was involved in.”
The Biden administration’s accomplishments welcomed by tech industry voters include the CHIPS Act and a climate bill that Westly called “the biggest green stimulus in human history.” Harris has a strong track record on issues that concern Silicon Valley donors, he said.
“She has been at the forefront of R&D tax credits and all the things that have supported [the industry] from the Internet to GPS. Trump is out there saying the most bizarre things imaginable,” he said, pointing to his criticism of green energy initiatives and electric vehicles. “The big picture is that most people in technology and business want stability. They don’t want to see mobs attacking the Capitol.”
Westly has regularly hosted high-dollar events for Democratic candidates at his home in Atherton, California, including one with Biden in June 2023. He said there were already efforts underway to schedule new events in response to increased demand to support Harris, but acknowledged that the compressed schedule makes things difficult.
“We raised $50,000 within an hour of sending our first email and we don’t even have a date,” he said. “Everyone knows that time is precious. [Events] it will need to be two to three times larger than normal.
Ron Conway, a venture capitalist and Democratic donor, was among those who expressed concern about Biden’s performance in the June 27 debate and implored Democratic leaders to pressure Biden to step aside. In a statement provided to NBC News, he praised Harris.
“I believe that our country is stronger when we look forward and not back, when we innovate and grow. Vice President Harris shares this vision and Donald Trump does not,” he said.
“That’s why I’m confident that the vast majority of the tech ecosystem in Silicon Valley and beyond will firmly support her as part of a broad coalition that will send her to the Oval Office to keep our country moving in the right direction. ”
But it’s not just trusted Democratic donors who have to be convinced to turn the tap back on after cutting off Biden. There are also donors who are being attracted to Trump.
Perhaps the biggest name in technology right now, Elon Musk, has pledged millions in support of Trump’s candidacy through a super PAC also supported by the Winklevoss twins and Joe Lonsdale, a venture capitalist.
Conway, fellow Democratic donor Reid Hoffman and others have been working the phones to try to convince tech contributors not to go to Trump’s corner, according to CNBC. Some in the tech community felt the Biden administration overregulated their industry, with particular concerns from leaders in cryptocurrency and AI.
Harris could be the Trump alternative that wary tech executives are looking for, as she has a mixed record on technology-focused government regulations. Although he was a senator from California, Harris said in 2019 that “we have to look seriously at [a Facebook breakup],” according to Fortune. Asked whether she supports the Biden administration’s support for legislation that could lead to a ban on TikTok, a spokesperson for Harris pointed to a ABC News Interview earlier this year.
“We do not intend to ban TikTok. That is in no way the goal or purpose of this conversation. We need to negotiate with the owner and we have national security concerns regarding the owner of TikTok,” she said.
Biden has signed a bill that could ban the use of TikTok in the United States, but only if its parent company, China-based ByteDance, agrees to sell the social media asset by early 2025.
Harris has maintained a close alliance with some technology leaders for years. She raised more than $500,000 during her 2019 Democratic primary from those who worked at Amazon, Alphabet, AT&T, Comcast, Microsoft and Apple, according to FEC records.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
