About Town

People, Places, Preoccupations Kamala Harris as VP Choice Electrifies Industry Supporters Joe Biden's selection of the California senator as his running mate sparks joy in the entertainment world, which will be a key source of campaign dollars: 'Hollywood knows a star when we see one' By Kirsten Chuba History was made Aug. 11 when Joe Biden announced California Sen. Kamala Harris as his 2020 running mate, making her both the first Black woman and the first Asian American woman selected as vice president on a major party ticket, as well as the first Californian on a Democratic ticket. Other close supporters are Laura Shell, wife of NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell; Katie Abrams, co-head of Bad Robot; former U.S. Ambassador Nicole Avant, wife of Netflix boss Ted Sarandos; Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chair Donna Langley; producer Julia Franz, wife of 1CM Partners managing director Chris Silbermann; Disney TV Studios and ABC Entertainment chairman Dana Walden (who was a donor to Harris' first race for San Francisco district attorney in 2003); Amazon Studios head Jen Saike; and Chuck Lorre Family Foundation president Trisha Cardoso. The event, which has a top ticket price of $100,000, benefits the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising effort of the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties. EEZB Make Note: Hollywood's Political Calendar Hollywood Is Raising Arizona Aug. 21, fieldteam6.org Co-hosted by Vin Di Bona and Nigel Lythgoe, the Zoom game show event benefits Democratic group Field Team 6 to register Arizona students and purged voters.