First Lady Jill Biden mingled with campaign donors and Silicon Valley educators at a fundraiser hosted by philanthropist Shannon Hunt-Scott within the scenic hills of Los Gatos on Friday and called for the re-election of President Joe Biden, whom she called “the only one for the job.”
Biden's visit to the Bay Area was a part of a fundraising tour for the Biden Victory Fund, following recent stops by President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The California campaign has raised tens of thousands and thousands of dollars for the president's re-election campaign.
On Friday morning, cars parked along the road outside Hunt-Scott's Los Gatos home as minibuses crammed with guests drove up the winding mountain roads. Shortly after noon, the primary lady's motorcade turned off Highway 17 in a procession of black cars and drove through Los Gatos. Nearby, a family walked with their children, each child holding a miniature U.S. flag.
About 70 to 80 guests gathered on Hunt-Scott's covered porch overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains, in line with a media pool report. Hunt-Scott said there have been 40 educators within the audience, a nod to Biden's profession as a teacher that began in Delaware about 45 years ago.
In her speeches, Biden described her husband's commitment to family and country, even in essentially the most difficult times.
“Through the highest peaks and lowest valleys of our lives, through our painful losses and our triumphant victories, Joe was always strong and steadfast. Always unflappable. Always undaunted. You've seen that over the last few years,” she said.
She went on to speak in regards to the skills her husband brings to the presidency, distinguishing his “hard-earned wisdom and solid character” from those of his Republican opponent.
“He's not just the right person for the job. He's the only person for the job,” she said. “Joe wakes up every morning thinking about how to make Americans' lives better. Donald Trump wakes up every morning and only cares about one person: himself. He's a danger to our families, our institutions and our democracy.”
Earlier this month, Vice President Kamala Harris attended a fundraiser in Oakland hosted by Amit Jain, an executive at Palantir Technologies, and Smita Trivedi, an economics professor at San Francisco State University. The event welcomed about 60 attendees, and tickets ranged from $5,000 to $25,000 for a pair.
Several Bay Area cities have reported high levels of donations from their residents to the Biden campaign, including San Francisco – whose residents alone donated $23 million – in addition to Palo Alto, Berkeley, Oakland, San Jose and Portola Valley.
“We cannot wake up on November 6 and wonder if we should have made more calls, knocked on more doors or donated more money. No,” Jill Biden said in her remarks. “We must work harder than ever before. We must go further than we have in the past. We must face this moment as if our rights are at stake. Because they are. As if our democracy is at stake. Because it is.”
image credit : www.mercurynews.com