Drew Wilson
U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy is getting some Pulitzer Prize-winning backup in her bid for a fourth term in Congress.
The Central Florida Democrat will hold an event on June 29 alongside Ron Chernow, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2011 for a biography of George Washington titled “Washington: A Life.” He also snagged a National Book Critics Circle Awards nomination for a 1998 biography of John D. Rockefeller.
Though it didn’t win him the top prize, Chernow is perhaps most famous today for his biography of Alexander Hamilton. His work was a prime inspiration for the musical “Hamilton” and he lent his talents as a historical consultant during its production.
Washington nor Hamilton nor Rockefeller are listed topics for the Chernow-Murphy collab. The event is simply billed as a “virtual conversation in support of Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy.”
Tickets for the Chernow fundraiser are about as pricy as tickets to see Broadway’s take on his work — or at least they would be if it were possible to land tix to the latter. You’ll have to wait until September for that.
If you’ve got $250 burning a hole in your pocket “That Would Be Enough” to get a friend-tier ticket and avoid a “Quiet Uptown” night. It’ll take $500 for an ally ticket, $1,000 for a supporter, $2,900 for co-host, and — “Wait For It” — $5,800 to be considered a full on host.
The conversation begins at 7 p.m. and it’ll take an RSVP to get the link.
Those interested in attending can sign up online. Questions should be directed to [email protected].
Murphy has represented Florida’s 7th Congressional District since 2017 after knocking off longtime U.S. Rep. John Mica by three points in the 2016 cycle, the first after state lawmakers were forced to redraw the state’s congressional maps.
She ran up the score in both her reelection campaigns, defeating former state Rep. Mike Miller by 15 points in 2018 and physician Leo Valentin by 12 points last year.
However, 2022 will be another reapportionment cycle and it’s unclear whether Murphy will land in a district with the same built-in advantage.
Already there are four Republicans lined up to challenge her in 2022 — including Mark Busch, Jeremy Liggett, Cory Mills and state Rep. Anthony Sabatini.
Murphy does lead in the money race, with just over $1.4 million in the bank as of March 31. Sabatini is the next closest with a little under $150,000 in the bank.
The fundraiser invitation is below.
