Hillary Clinton to host Manhattan fundraiser for Bill de Blasio

Hillary Clinton will headline a Manhattan fundraiser Monday night for mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio, contributing her political clout to the Democratic front-runner’s campaign and underscoring City Hall’s significance on the national stage.

The Roosevelt Hotel event, with cocktail reception tickets beginning at $1,000 and host committee chairs committed to raising $25,000 each, is among Clinton's first partisan forays since leaving her secretary of state post in February. Clinton, weighing a 2016 presidential run, also has stumped for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.

In an effort to give less affluent supporters entree to the event, de Blasio’s campaign raffled off two tickets. De Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, in an email Saturday to supporters, said Clinton is “an inspiration to women and girls everywhere, and an example of leadership and grace for us all. ... We want to make sure you have a chance to get in on this reception, too.”

De Blasio holds a 3-1 lead in the polls over Republican rival Joe Lhota two weeks before the Nov. 5 election.

Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, last month endorsed de Blasio for mayor, calling him a “friend.” The public advocate, who managed Hillary Clinton’s successful U.S. Senate bid in 2000, in turn, described the couple’s support as “humbling.”

De Blasio since winning the Sept. 10 primary cut back on his public schedule in favor of private fundraisers. He raised about $628,000 in the most recent two-week filing period compared to Republican rival Joe Lhota's $280,000, according to the Campaign Finance Board.