"Leader’s Circle $44,300", Foushee, Ross, and Jeffries Host DCCC Fundraiser
- Durham Dispatch
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 13 minutes ago
On Jan. 9, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Valerie Foushee, and Rep. Deborah Ross hosted a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the party’s congressional campaign arm [1]. The event was held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Research Triangle Park. Rep. Foushee is facing a competitive primary against Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam.
Tickets cost between $1,000 and $44,300, the maximum donation that can be given to a party committee's general fund. The tiers were:
General Reception Level:
$1,000 for general admission
$2,500 for “Friend”
$5,000 for “Supporter”
VIP Reception Levels:
$10,000 for “Chairwoman’s Council”
$25,000 for “Host”
$44,300 for “Leader’s Circle”
At DCCC fundraisers, more expensive tickets typically provide greater access to top politicians and strategists. A “Chairwoman Council” ticket includes an invitation to the “Weekend and Issues Conference” hosted by DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene in Seattle in March 2026, plus future regional events.
Tickets in the “Leader’s Circle” come with access to DCCC events nationwide, an invitation to the “Leader’s Circle Issues Conference and Weekend” with Leader Jeffries in Torrey Pines in August 2026, and access to DCCC strategy meetings.
“Leader’s Circle” donors can also contribute to the DCCC Legal Fund, which supports voting rights and redistricting efforts, or the Building Fund, which funds infrastructure and staff in key races. Those who give over $150,000 are welcomed into the Jeffries150 Club, while donors who reach the limit of $310,000 for all party committee accounts are welcomed into the Jeffries300 Club.
Though officially a fundraiser for the DCCC, the Jan. 9 event gave Rep. Foushee and Rep. Ross a chance to connect with the party's national donor network. DCCC fundraisers can be used to informally “push” donations to vulnerable or favored incumbents.
In a rematch of her 2022 primary, Rep. Foushee will face Nida Allam in the Democratic primary. Allam has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Working Families Party, Sunrise Movement, and several other progressive groups. She refuses to accept corporate PAC money. Foushee has accepted donations from corporate PACs in various industries including weapons, railroads, pharmaceuticals, and fossil fuels [2].
In the 2022 race, Rep. Foushee was criticized for benefiting from millions in outside spending by pro-Israel groups and a PAC funded by cryptocurrency billionare Sam Bankman-Fried, who is now imprisoned for fraud. The contest became the most expensive Democratic primary in state history.
Rep. Foushee said in Aug. 2025 that she would refuse donations from AIPAC. The shift followed the global outcry against the Israeli genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza. Without such support, she needs to find other donors to compete against Allam. The Jan. 9 fundraiser for the DCCC could assist Rep. Foushee by connecting her with a wider donor network.