Jimmy Kimmel was back on the virtual campaign trail Tuesday, voicing his support for Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen (D) in her re-election bid against Republican challenger Sam Brown.
Kimmel grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, where, as it happens, Rosen worked with his father as a computer programmer.
Their personal connection aside, Rosen and Kimmel have both been staunch defenders of the Affordable Care Act—he on his show, and she in the U.S. Senate.
“I’ve known Jacky for years,” Kimmel wrote in a fundraising email sent to Democratic donors Tuesday. “Jacky is a smart, strong, and reasonable person who cares deeply about the hardworking people of Nevada and across our country.”
“Jacky is fighting to lower prescription drug costs, restore reproductive freedom, strengthen workers’ rights, and pass common sense gun safety reforms,” Kimmel continued. “Her MAGA opponent wants to be another destructive force in the Senate as Republicans aim to crush affordable health care, ban abortion, and do nothing about the senseless gun violence Nevadans know all too well.”
Although the late-night hosts of old tended to keep their personal politics under wraps, recent years have seen hosts like Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and David Letterman throw their weight behind their favored candidates at both a local and national level.
Kimmel, who participated in fundraising efforts earlier this year for Joe Biden, also supported Rosen in her successful first run for Senate in 2018, and worked with her on Nevada get out the vote efforts during the 2000 presidential election.
After taking the summer off—and handing his show over to a series of guest hosts—Kimmel will be back behind his desk at Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, September 3.
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