The Florida Democratic Party’s biggest night of the year for fundraising — it’s Leadership Blue Dinner — is scheduled to take place next month in the South Florida city of Hollywood, and the FDP announced today that it will feature Virginia Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and Hawaii U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as their keynote speakers.
Warner was just re-elected to the Senate last fall, narrowly surviving a challenge from Republican Ed Gillespie. He served as governor of Virginia from 2002-2006, and then moved on and easily defeated former Gov. Jim Gilmore in 2008 for Senate.
As founder and managing director of a venture capital firm, he helped found or was an early investor in a number of technology companies, including Nextel, which has helped him become the wealthiest senator in the country.
Gabbard was first elected to serve Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District in 2012 and re-elected last fall. Previously, she served two tours of combat duty in Iraq, and serves as the Democratic National Committee’s vice chair. She also happens to be the only Hindu member of Congress.
“It’s my honor to join Florida Democrats in June to get ready for an exciting 2016,” Warner said in a statement. “I look forward to celebrating the values we share, from strong schools to an American economy that empowers innovators and entrepreneurs, providing everyone with a fair shot. Florida Democrats have a great opportunity to win a seat in the U.S. Senate and help deliver the presidency to a Democrat in 2016, and I’m excited to be a part of that effort.”
