NEW YORK – Kristin Bertolina Faust, a Greek-American, and one of California’s leading  Democrats, has taken on the role of co-chair of the fundraising operation for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign as she heads towards the historic November 5 elections.

Bertolina Faust, has maintained a close friendship with Harris for many years and has proven particularly effective in the field of fundraising, which will play a crucial role in a campaign that is essentially a ‘sprint to the finish’, especially in a time when communication is critical in swing states. She will be supported by Rufus Gifford, former U.S. ambassador to Denmark and former Chief of Protocol.

Despite her name not indicating Greek heritage, Faust is the niece of Greek-American businessman and philanthropist Angelo Tsakopoulos, and is thus related to California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, who is expected to run for the state’s top position in 2026.

Faust’s strategic role in Kamala Harris’s campaign was announced by the current Vice President and presidential candidate herself during the Democratic National Convention that was recently held in Chicago. She is the first Greek-American to be chosen for such a crucial position in a presidential candidate’s campaign since Nick Mitropoulos, a close associate of former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential election.

One of Faust’s first tasks is to organize the crucial televised debate between Harris and her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, which is seen as an important opportunity to solidify the momentum that the Democratic candidate has gained since she became a candidate for the presidency following the withdrawal of the current president, Joe Biden.

Harris has repeatedly trusted the Greek-American advisor in the past, as she did in 2019 when she attempted to run for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 elections, only to withdraw later from the race. Faust’s influence is undisputed, as she is considered one of the top 100 figures in this field, according to Capitol Weekly working mainly in a state with a complex political landscape like California. She was also a key figure in the campaign of the powerful California Senator, Alex Padilla, in the 2022 elections.