Wade Smith raises money for Obama

Former state Democratic chairman Wade Smith raised big bucks for Barack Obama this week.

Smith, a leading Raleigh defense attorney, hosted a fund raiser at his home, featuring Obama senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. She was introduced by Democratic Gov. Mike Easley, Rob Christensen reports.

Among those attending were former Gov. Jim Hunt.

Smith said it was one of the largest and most enthusiastic fund raisers he has ever held with well over 100 people jammed into house. But he was not certain how much was raised.

The event was organized by John Crumpler, a Raleigh businessman, long active in Democratic politics.

Admission was $1,000 per person. But to be a host a person had to either give or agree to raise $10,000 for the Obama Victory Fund.

After the jump, a list of the hosts.

—————

Listed as hosts were Smith, Crumpler, Ron Bernstein, former state House Speaker Dan Blue, Dennis Crumpler, public relations executive Ken Eudy, Alston Gardner, a local businessman and business school professor at the UNC-Chapel Hill; former Ambassador Jeanette Hyde, Democratic consultant Morgan Jackson, Steve Lerner, a local businessman; Karol Mason, an attorney based in Raleigh and Atlanta; Jennifer Runowski, a Democratic activist from Fayetteville; Chandler Spaulding, a publicist originally from Durham; Chapel Hill attorney Adam Stein, Tim Toben, a Chapel Hill developer and businessman, Raleigh attorney Ed Turlington and Brad Wilson, the former chairman of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.