Striking writers and actors had a chilling effect on political fundraising in Southern California. | Mario Tama/Getty ImagesLOS ANGELES — California politicians had many reasons to cheer the news when the screenwriters’ union and major production studios reached a tentative deal. The nearly-five month strike, paired with actors also stopping work,But another little-noticed result of the strike was its chilling effect on political fundraising.
Biden, whose donor base is so entwined with the entertainment industry that Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg has an official role as campaign co-chair, avoided the Los Angeles fundraising circuit entirely in deference to striking workers. The strikes did not significantly affect the campaign’s overall raise so far, he said, but it had to rely on donors outside of Los Angeles to host fundraising events. And the campaign maintained some presence in the city through surrogates such as First Lady Jill Biden, who has appeared at events in the area.
The pain has been even more acute locally, as candidates who rely on three- or four-figure checks instead of multimillion-dollar bundled donations saw their contributor pool dry up when the cameras stopped rolling. “You’re talking to folks in Hollywood who are explicitly saying they can’t give because of the current situation,” the strategist said. “Usually you can playfully push back, but when they say that, it ends the conversation.”
Even industry types with enough personal wealth to ride out the uncertainty of the strike have dialed back their political involvement.