One of Hollywood's most legendary voices is lending her star power to a Senate campaign that could help decide control of Congress, and she is sounding the alarm.
In a fundraising appeal sent to supporters Monday, the entertainment icon told readers she is "deeply concerned for our country and the world," warning that the Trump administration and Republicans are "raising costs, undermining our democracy, and putting lives in danger."
The voice behind the message belongs to none other than Barbra Streisand, the EGOT-winning singer and actress and a longtime Democratic megastar, who is throwing her weight behind Alex Vindman's bid for the U.S. Senate in Florida.
"It's Barbra Streisand," the email opens. "I am reaching out because like many of you, I am deeply concerned." She framed the contest as bigger than party, writing that protecting "the country we love" is "no longer a Republican or Democratic issue."
Streisand pitched Vindman's race as potentially decisive, writing that "control of the Senate could hinge on his race." She added that "the latest polls show he can win" but that he needs supporters to "step up."
Vindman is no stranger to clashing with Trump. The retired Army lieutenant colonel was a key witness in Trump's first impeachment, testifying about the 2019 call in which Trump pressured Ukraine's president, and was pushed out of his National Security Council post after the trial. He is now running as a Democrat to unseat Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, the former state attorney general appointed to fill Marco Rubio's seat after Rubio became secretary of state, and has vowed to be the president's "worst nightmare."
Streisand's optimism about the polling comes with caveats. While Vindman's campaign has cited surveys showing the race within the margin of error, independent polls have given Moody healthier leads, and Florida has trended firmly Republican, with no Democrat winning a Senate race there since 2012. The Cook Political Report rates the seat "Solid R." Vindman also has to clear an Aug. 18 Democratic primary first.
Still, the appeal shows his campaign is leaning on celebrity firepower to nationalize a long-shot race and juice small-dollar donations in a contest Democrats would dearly love to steal.
