There were dueling standouts related to the Nov. 5 presidential election this weekend in Gloucester.
They were spurred by a visit to America’s oldest seaport by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, for a fundraising luncheon.
Republican supporters stood out at the Grant Circle rotary on Friday night and late Saturday morning to meet the motorcade bringing Vance to the luncheon at an address revealed only to attendees.
Supporters of Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stood out on the 300-block of Gloucester’s Concord Street on Saturday to meet the motorcade as it went by. They brought signs, a green blowup coach, and one man dressed as a hot dog while a woman wore breast pumps.
Among those protesting Vance’s appearance was Rockport resident, Gloucester native and performance artist Vermin Supreme, who came in fifth on the Democratic ticket in New Hampshire’s presidential primary in January
The fundraising luncheon was hosted by Mike and Renee Minogue, according to the invitation. Co-hosts were Republican National Committee Committeewoman Janet Fogarty and Bob and Laura Reynolds, according to an invitation posted on the website for the group SRQ4Trump.
The cost to host the event was a “give/raise” of $100,000 per couple, according to the invitation. The roundtable was a $25,000 give/raise per person. A photo opportunity was a $15,000 give/raise per photo, and attendees were asked to give $5,000 per couple.
SRQ is the three-letter code that stands for Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on the west coast of Florida.