Harris allies make a pitch to CEOs that she would be good for business

CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris' allies in the business community are privately making a pitch to CEOs about why they should back her over former President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.

At private parties and meetings during the Democratic National Convention, corporate executives close to Harris told CNBC they are delivering a message tailored to major players in finance, tech and law.

Their pitch argues that a Harris presidency will be good for business because she wants to create a strong economy that will help the middle class. They also make the case that a Harris administration would provide business a degree of certainty on public policy front that would not exist in a Trump White House, these people said.

Individuals engaged in this effort were granted anonymity in order to describe private conversations.

At a party on Tuesday for tech executives and New York Democratic lawmakers, the conversations partially revolved around how to reel in major players in tech to support Harris, including those who align more closely with the GOP than with Democrats. Among the guests was Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The shindig was at Chicago's Bunker., organized by Tech:NYC, a tech industry group that lists Bloomberg, Google, Meta, Union Square Ventures and Yahoo as its founding members.

Another topic that comes up frequently this week is what positions might need to be filled in a potential Harris administration.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. approached businessman and longtime Harris ally Charlies Phillips on Wednesday at The Peninsula Chicago hotel, and told him she thought he should have a post in a Harris Treasury Department.

When this speculation turns to Treasury secretaries