Walz raised $1.8 million in Greenwich on Sunday night.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

GREENWICH — With four fundraisers in 28 hours, vice presidential candidate Tim Walz came to affluent Fairfield County on Sunday night and raised $1.8 million from the state’s top Democrats.

Walz led a reception attended by more than 250 people at the Greenwich home of Gov. Ned Lamont, who had developed a personal friendship with Walz through their work as fellow governors.

Lamont announced the results to the crowd gathered under a large tent attached to the back of his home in an upscale neighborhood.

“I like this guy,” Lamont told the cheering crowd. “Not only does he have the best interests of the country at heart. He not only represents the best of American values. He is a good man and a very good friend, and I can’t wait for the day when Vice President Waltz speaks to you, Madam President.”

Walz thanked the wealthy crowd several times for coming out on “perhaps the most beautiful day of the year, Sunday night” to raise money for the campaign as presidential candidate Kamala Harris takes on former President Donald Trump and the U.S. . Senator J. D. Vance of Ohio.

“I know this is a preach-to-the-choir moment, but I tell people that our concert is in 16 days, and the choir must sing, and must sing now,” Walz said to applause from the crowd. “The contrast couldn’t be greater. … A large number of people in America are very busy and their children are in school. People are starting to listen within the last 16 days.”

Walz told the crowd that multiple candidates will win the Connecticut race, as Democrats have won every U.S. Senate race since 1988 and have controlled the state’s entire House delegation since Republican Chris Shays lost in 2008. It’s a battleground state, with both Democrats and Republicans regularly coming here to raise huge amounts of campaign donations.

“Look, you’re going to win here,” Walz told the crowd. “We know you do this. And we don’t look at it as an ATM, but I look at it as a group of people who are committed to the rest of the country.”

The money was being raised Sunday night by the Harris Victory Fund, which is a joint fundraising committee that can accept donations from individuals up to $926,000 and from a political action committee up to $410,000. Only a small portion goes directly to Harris’ presidential campaign. About $41,300 per person then goes to the Democratic National Committee, and then as much as $510,000 per person is distributed to state Democratic parties across the country—hence Walz’s comment about the rest of the country.

Walz said the money is being used to fight votes in places like Saginaw, Michigan, where he campaigned Sunday morning, which could make a difference in deciding who becomes the next president.

Sunday’s big event was designed to raise as much money as possible for the race, which ends on November 5th. Harris’ campaign has already raised $1 billion this year.

Those who contributed or raised $100,000 in Greenwich were given the title of “event chairman” and allowed four participants to take a photo with Walz.

The updated invitation said all prices under $50,000 were sold out. For $50,000, two participants could have their photo taken with Waltz as host. Co-hosts were listed at $25,000, and “champions” paid $10,000 to receive preferred seating for one contestant. Couples could attend the general reception for $5,000, while the lowest price of $1,000 per person had a “limited quantity” that also sold out, according to the invitation.

Walz acknowledged that U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes was in the crowd after speaking minutes before him. He noted that Hayes was named national teacher of the year, which is not easy to achieve.

“As teachers, we have a lot in common. … I was a finalist in Minnesota and didn’t get selected,” Walz said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “I said, ‘Yeah, this proves that being teacher of the year is a hell of a lot harder than being governor of Minnesota.’ This is true”.

Walz also thanked U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, whose names appeared on the invitation and were members of the host committee.

On a busy weekend, Walz’s schedule called for him to wake up Sunday morning in Michigan and head to a church service. He then flew to Boston for an afternoon fundraiser before flying back to Westchester County Airport before taking a motorcade to nearby Greenwich on Sunday evening.

TV personality Joy Behar announced that Waltz will appear on ABC’s “The View” Monday morning. He must then attend fundraising events in New York City during the lunchtime and evening hours, according to the Harris-Waltz campaign.

Friends with Lamont

Like other supporters, Lamont says Walz is a very personable colleague, citing his time playing golf in Florida at an event with fellow governors.

“I played golf with him and never stopped laughing,” Lamont told reporters in August. “He showed up at the first game a little more Rodney Dangerfield than Tiger Woods. Hit the ball a little left of center and it was the most fun 18 holes of golf I’ve ever had.”

The weekend before Walz was selected as the vice presidential nominee, Lamont said he texted Walz “back and forth” and also received a voicemail from the Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff.

“I just like the guy,” Lamont said of Walz. “Let’s start with a really good man who doesn’t love himself but loves his country. I think he reflected that throughout his career, and whenever you sit down at a Governors Association meeting, I always want to sit next to him. I’m learning a lot and enjoying it.”

Fundraising in Greenwich

Although Connecticut has relatively few Electoral College votes, political candidates have historically traveled to the state for major fundraising, especially in Fairfield and Litchfield counties.

In early June, Democrats gathered in northwest Greenwich at the nearly 15-acre estate of former Home Box Office CEO Richard Plepler to see one of President Joe Biden’s last fundraisers before he dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris.

Following past practice, the Biden campaign did not release details about the number of donors or the amount raised at the event. Lamont, however, said organizers were hoping to “triple or quadruple” the amount raised at Lamont’s house in October 2019, which was reported to be more than $450,000. At the time in 2019, Biden was having trouble gaining support among Democrats and ultimately lost in Iowa and New Hampshire before making a strong comeback in South Carolina with the support of longtime U.S. House veteran Jim Clyburn.

Biden also visited Greenwich in June 2023 at the home of Stephen Mandel Jr., a longtime hedge fund manager who founded Lone Pine Capital in 1997. Republican strategists who helped block Trump’s re-election bid.