Abhay Singh
Over 100 venture capitalists, including Reid Hoffman, Vinod Khosla, Mark Cuban, Ron Conway, and Chris Sacca, have pledged to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in November and have requested donations for her presidential campaign, a response to the splintering among tech leaders over which to support in the election.
“We also believe in democracy as the backbone of our nation.”
On the group’s website, VCsForKamala.org, the group posted a statement saying “We are pro-business, pro-American dream, pro-entrepreneurship and pro-technological progress,” they also added “We also believe in democracy as the backbone of our nation.”
Visitors are urged to donate to Ms. Harris’ campaign and sign a pledge of support on the website.
Another group, Tech For Kamala, a group of tech entrepreneurs and workers, has expressed their unwavering support for Vice President Harris through a letter that received over 550 signatures in two days.
“They don’t speak for most of us. And they don’t speak for the founders.”
Silicon Valley, once considered a liberal bastion, has seen a pushback from right-wing venture capitalists and executives who have endorsed former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.
Elon Musk, who leads Tesla, SpaceX, and X, and investors Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and David Sacks have endorsed Trump.
The right has gained prominence in Silicon Valley for over a decade, with conservative figures like Elon Musk and Sacks representing a minority of tech employees.
However, since President Biden announced his support for Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, dozens of venture capitalists have started challenging this narrative, highlighting the growing right’s influence in Silicon Valley.
Referring to Mr. Musk, Mr. Sacks, and others, Leslie Feinzaig, a managing director of the venture firm Graham & Walker and the main organiser of VCsForKamala, stated “They don’t speak for me, They don’t speak for most of us. And they don’t speak for the founders.”
“tweet after tweet after tweet of these guys coming out and supporting Trump”
Ms. Feinzaig attributed the group’s quick action to the “tweet after tweet after tweet” of individuals supporting Trump, which she said was partly triggered by the surge in excitement over Ms. Harris’s candidacy.
In an attempt to rally venture capitalists, Ms. Feinzaig distributed a Google sign-up form, emphasizing that it was a “grass-roots effort” that was not intended to support any particular political party. According to a statement on the group’s website, signing the pledge is equivalent to casting a vote for powerful, reliable institutions.
The sign up form read “Let’s show founders that not all V.C.s have turned MAGA.”
Democratic donors and Silicon Valley-based operatives were concerned that the Biden campaign has not adequately addressed the tech industry’s changing politics.
The Harris campaign is aiming to organize Silicon Valley leaders more, and San Francisco Bay Area operative, Ms. Harris, plans a fundraising trip there next month.
Julia Collins, founder of climate tech start-up Planet FWD, organized the Tech For Kamala letter and plans to hold “one of those iconic Zoom calls” to involve people in the campaign for Ms. Harris, referring to the series of organizing calls held by supporters.
Collins said “What we’re building is a grass-roots movement that includes all people in tech, not just the luminaries, not just the billionaires.”
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