Hasan Minhaj, the host of Netflix’s “Patriot Act,” will keynote an event for the Texas Democratic Party on Thursday, as the state party seeks to boost its appeal to Asian American voters.
Minhaj will appear at the Johnson-Jordan dinner, an annual fundraiser for the state party that is being held virtually this year. Also on the bill are Hillary Clinton and former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join the Texas Democratic Party’s annual Johnson-Jordan dinner to discuss Texas’ role as a battleground state and the important role the AAPI community will play in future elections,” Minhaj said in a statement. “As the fastest-growing community in Texas, registering to vote and getting out to vote might be the difference between winning and losing the state. It’s time for all hands on-deck.”
A number of Hollywood celebrities are using their platforms to try to build up state party infrastructure. Earlier this month, the cast of “The Princess Bride” did a script reading to raise money for the Wisconsin Democratic party, and the cast of “Parks and Recreation” did a similar event last week for the organization.
President Trump won Texas by nine points in 2016, and the FiveThirtyEight forecast gives him a 68% chance of winning the state again. Texas Democrats are also hoping to unseat Sen. John Cornyn. The Democratic senate nominee, MJ Hegar, will also make an appearance at the dinner.
Individual tickets to the event are $100, and they range up to $50,000 for “platinum” sponsorship packages.