Gay presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has received hefty contributions from more than 50 well-known celebrity donors, according to PinkNews.
Celebrities that donated to Buttigieg’s campaign include George Takei ($1,200), Barbara Streisand ($1,000), Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi ($2,800), John Stamos ($1,000), Gwyneth Paltrow ($2,800), Kevin Bacon ($2,800) and Michael J. Fox ($2,800), among others.
These donations pushed Buttigieg to the $24.8 million he received during his second fundraising quarter.
Rufus Gifford, the finance director of former President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign, talked to AP about why the mayor from South Bend, Indiana has had so much success raising funds.
“He did exactly what you are supposed to do,” he said. “They are seizing opportunities, they are building infrastructure, hiring staff and working their butts off.”
Gifford attributed his popularity among both the general public, LGBTQ community, and celebrity donors, to the historic nature of his campaign.
“The LGBT community is very enthusiastic about supporting him,” Gifford continued. “That does not mean they are going to vote for him, but they want to support the candidacy because it’s historically important.”
Buttigieg started his campaign as the underdog, with no experience as a federal legislator. However, he has quickly risen in the ranks, recently placing third in a national poll among Democratic primary voters.
A list of all donations to presidential candidates are available to the public via the Federal Election Commission. $2,800 is the maximum amount an individual donor can give a single candidate.