More than 200 venture capitalists, startup founders, and tech leaders have pledged to support Vice President Kamala Harris in her run for the presidency. This marks a significant moment in the tech industry’s political involvement.
High-Profile Supporters Back Harris
Signatories of this pledge include influential figures such as Mark Cuban, Vinod Khosla, Ron Conway, and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, who has already donated $7 million to Harris’ campaign. The initiative, seemingly led by Conway, was formalized with a letter published on a new “VCs for Kamala” website. The letter emphasized the importance of “strong, trustworthy institutions” and warned that the stability of various industries, including tech, is at stake in this election.
Shifting Support in Silicon Valley
This surge of support for Harris contrasts with recent high-profile endorsements of Donald Trump by some tech leaders, including Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, and Ben Horowitz. Republican senator and vice presidential candidate JD Vance was reportedly chosen by Trump with encouragement from Musk and other tech influencers.
However, Steve Spinner, a prominent Democratic bundler, argues that these Trump supporters are exceptions in an overwhelmingly Democratic tech community. Spinner stated, “For every one person who’s backing Trump, there’s 20 who are backing Kamala.”
A Divided Tech Industry
Despite the show of support for Harris, the tech industry remains politically divided. On the same day as the Harris endorsement, David Marcus, CEO of Lightspark and former PayPal president, announced his support for Republicans, criticizing the Democratic leadership for its “increasingly leftist ideology.”
The “VCs for Kamala” pledge to vote for Harris does not necessarily translate to financial support, especially since many signatories are from non-competitive states. While the pledge includes a link for donations, it allows tech leaders to show support without committing financially.
Awaiting Harris’ Tech Policy Stance
Some tech executives remain cautious, awaiting more detailed positions from Harris on key tech-related issues. Aaron Levie, CEO of Box, noted he is waiting for more information on Harris’ tech plans before making a financial commitment. Levie, who is supportive of Harris, did not sign the pro-Harris pledge, stating it was primarily for VCs.
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