The Gotham star, who has historically been supportive of the Democratic Party, has his Twitter account bio set as: “Together, we can #TurnTexasBlue.” It also and includes a link to the “Let’s Flip the Texas House!” website, where folks can donate to the Democratic Party.
“If we flip the Texas House, we can unrig the maps and beat Trump, too!” McKenzie said on September 4.
The Turn Texas Blue fundraiser’s goal is to turn the historically Republican state to lean more Democratic in time for the upcoming election this November. It is part of the 38 for $38 fundraiser, the number representing the number of electoral college votes the state of Texas has in play.
“As today’s poll showed, Texas is the biggest battleground state in the country. It’s neck and neck and we’re seeing unprecedented energy and enthusiasm for turning Texas blue,” voter expansion director, Luke Warford said in a statement shared with Newsweek. “Donate at 38for38.com to help turn a tie game into a historic defeat.”
Along with McKenzie, the following celebrities have posted about donating to 38 for 38: Elizabeth Gillies, Amy Schumer, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Nick Offerman, Piper Perabo, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Taran Killam, Julianne Moore, Ashley Tisdale, Adam Rippon, Ellen Pompeo, George Takei, Ken Jeong, Ashley Nicole Black, Jenna Ushkowitz, Julie Plec, Eileen Davidson, Tyler Oakley, Mikel Jolett, Richard Speight, Andy Richter, Patrick Adams, Troian Bellesario and Kevin McHale.
“If we flip just 9 of the 150 seats in the Texas House, Democrats will flip the chamber and gain a critical seat at the table for redistricting,” the Turn Texas Blue states, which also includes a link for folks to donate.
“The Impact Slates team has crunched the numbers - and these candidates are in the closest races who most need our support to win,” it continues, noting the ten candidates: Sarah DeMerchant, Keke Williams, Angela Brewer, Sharon Hirsch, Lorenzo Sanchez, Joanna Cattanach, Brandy Chambers, Celina Montoya, Ann Johnson and Akilah Bacy.
“All contributions go extremely far for these candidates, and could mean the difference in turning the Texas House blue!” the donation site concluded.
McKenzie has also been vocal on his Twitter account, encouraging his followers to register to vote and donate.
Mark Hamill, George Takei and Piper Perabo are other celebrities who have been active in turning Texas Blue, as per Dallas News. They, along with McKenzie, participated in a virtual week-long convention that raised $2 million.
McKenzie has been an outspoken on behalf of the Democratic Party for years, and anyone who scrolls through his Twitter account can see that he has plenty of resources to share.
In 2008, he and fellow actor John Cho campaigned for former President Barack Obama in Lynchburg, Virginia. “I think the state is changing very quickly and it’s really nice to see people embrace a new kind of figure. And embrace a new way of getting government to work for them,” he said at the time.
He also volunteered during Obama’s 2012 presidential run. He and Ashley Judd spoke on Obama’s behalf at the Cerro Gordo County Democratic Headquarters in Mason City, Iowa that September.
“They have money, we have resources on the ground. We have this room, we have the people in this room and 50 offices all over the state,” McKenzie said, as per North Iowa Today. “We have to make those calls, talk to people one-on-on and talk to them from our hearts.”
The actor also encouraged people to get involved and volunteer their time, a sentiment he still seems to believe in.
Updated 9/29/2020 11:03 a.m., EST: This article has been updated to include a quote from Luke Warford and the list of celebrities who have posted about donating to the 38 for $38 fundraiser.
