Up and down the ballot, candidates in Texas are closing out the final days of their campaign with a bevy of Hollywood stars. From virtual campaign rallies to grassroots fundraisers, it’s clear that a lot of folks do consider Texas the biggest battleground state and are pulling out all the stops.
Yesterday, the Texas Democratic Party announced a grassroots event with cast members from the classic sitcom “Seinfeld” hosted by “Late Night” host Seth Meyers. They are just the latest to come virtually to town for Democrats.
Wendy Davis is ending her campaign with a virtual grassroots fundraiser featuring a special musical guest: the Chicks. Davis will also be joined by Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar and actress Connie Britton, who famously played Texan Tami Taylor on “Friday Night Lights.”
Gina Ortiz Jones is closing out her campaign with a final event featuring former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EMILY’s list president Stephanie Schriock. Jones will be joined by a roster of other women running around the country. A week ago, Jones held a virtual event where “Vogue” Editor Anna Wintour was a special guest.
Wintour also made an appearance at a previous event for Sima Ladjevardian. On Twitter, Ladjevardian has been cheered on by Sophia Bush. Over the summer she held a virtual discussion with Houston rapper Bun B.
State house candidates are also getting a boost from Hollywood. The actor Ben McKenzie (a native of Austin) has been hosting numerous virtual events for candidates around the state with his wife Morena Baccarin. They also recorded a Twitter video for the group Impact States which is targeting ten house districts to flip in Texas. On Twitter, McKenzie has also highlighted candidates Natali Hurtado and Jennifer Skidonenko.
A number of other native Texan actors have also been using their extensive platforms about early voting. Jamie Foxx, originally from Terrell, recorded a video for Now This News about what Texans need to vote. Over the weekend, Piper Perabo participated in a phone bank for Tarrant County sheriff candidate Vance Keyes. She is also extremely vocal about a number of other races around the state.
Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
