Jesse Scheckner
The Democratic Party is depending even more on well-connected Coral Gables-based lawyer and real estate developer Chris Korge to secure victories in the next election.
Korge will now serve as Finance Chair of the Biden Victory Fund, the joint fundraising vehicle of President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign. He’s held the same title with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) since his election to the post in 2019.
The campaign of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced Korge’s appointment alongside two others: former U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond as the campaign Co-Chair and Rufus Gifford as Finance Chair of Biden-Harris 2024. Both are top advisers to the President.
The Monday announcement came just days after the campaign announced a $72 million fundraising haul last quarter with the DNC and its joint fundraising committees — more than the combined Q2 gains of both former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“Our campaign is off to a strong start, securing early endorsements and unified support from across the Biden-Harris coalition, and a historic quarter for our fundraising operation,” Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.
“Bringing in these trusted and known leaders that have strong and proven records of helping win presidential campaigns sends a clear signal to the American people that we continue to build out a powerhouse campaign leadership team that knows what it will take to win in November 2024.”
Korge is among the most consistently called-upon national fundraisers in Democratic politics. Since 1992, when Bill Clinton won the presidency, he has been involved in the campaigns of every presidential candidate the party has nominated.
He was previously Finance Chair under former U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton during her first run at the White House in 2008 and performed similar duties for former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Al Gore, Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas and former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, among others.
In addition to his direct work for current and former elected officials, he has served as Chair of the DNC’s Democratic Business Council and trustee for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. His local community involvements include board memberships with Florida International University, the Urban League of Greater Miami, United Way, Miami Art Museum, Greater Miami Host Committee, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and Recording for the Blind.
He is a partner at the Korge & Korge law firm, co-chair of airport concession business NewsLink, senior adviser to international banking firm The Americas Group, chair and managing partner of Landko Development and a slew of real estate limited liability companies registered with the Florida Division of Corporations.
His reputation as a Democratic kingmaker stretches back decades.
“There are probably a dozen dealmakers in this town, then there are 30 or 40 wannabes,” Maurice Ferré, the late former Mayor of Miami, once said of Korge. “The king of them all is Chris Korge.”
