One declared mayoral candidate and one potential mayoral candidate are set to join forces tonight to help Democrat Terry McAuliffe raise some money for his Virginia gubernatorial campaign. McAuliffe, a former Clintonista and head of the Democratic National Committee who bombed when he ran for Virginia governor four years ago, is in a closely watched race with Republican Ken Cuccinelli.

Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser and Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans are co-hosting a downtown fundraiser for McAuliffe, according to an invite to the event. Joining the councilmembers as co-hosts are MaryEva Candon, a longtime local Democratic party operative, former Councilmember Arrington Dixon, and David Wilmot, a well-known lobbyist who had an unusually close relationship with Jeff Thompson, the alleged financier of what the feds say was an illegal “shadow campaign” for Mayor Vince Gray. (Campaign records show that Thompson gave $2,500 to McAuliffe’s failed 2009 gubernatorial run in June of that year. Six days later, Wilmot donated $1,000 from a business whose bank account Thompson put money in; a company Wilmot owns called Autopark, that Thompson used be part owner of, gave $1,000; and an executive at an embattled Wilmot-owned group-home company gave $500.) 

According to the invite, the chairs of the event are asked to either help raise or donate $2,000 to McAuliffe’s campaign. Evans says Candon asked him to help with the fundraiser but he didn’t know he’d be a co-host or with whom he’d be hosting. But he says he’s happy to help. “I support [McAuliffe] and I hope he wins.”

The invite, in case you want to go:

[documentcloud url=”https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/664754-invitation-3-apr-1-1-1.html”]

Photo by Flickr user afagen used under Creative Commons license