Harris campaign raises $55 million over two weekend events, campaign official says

By Trevor Hunnicutt

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) -Kamala Harris' U.S. presidential election campaign raised $55 million during two events this weekend, a campaign official said on Sunday.

The Democratic candidate and U.S. vice president raised $27 million at a fundraising event at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Saturday that included remarks by former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a performance by “Rise Up” singer Andra Day, said the official, who declined to be identified discussing non-public information..

Harris then drew $28 million for an event in downtown Los Angeles that included performances by Alanis Morissette and Halle Bailey. Also spotted at the event were Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Demi Lovato, Jessica Alba, Lily Tomlin and Stevie Wonder.

At the events, Harris spotlighted her economic policies, calling herself a capitalist and painting the stakes of the election in existential terms. She told donors she would win but also that she was the underdog in the race, with just weeks to go.

Harris's presidential campaign and the Democratic Party raised $361 million in August, giving her a clear cash advantage over Republican rival Donald Trump, whose campaign raised $130 million in August together with the Republican Party.

The two candidates remained in a close race for the presidency with just over a month before the Nov. 5 presidential election. A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken earlier this month showed Harris leading Trump 47% to 40%, although other polls showed a tighter race.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Costas Pitas; Editing by Tom Hogue and Lincoln Feast)