Gala-Going Bloomberg’s Exit Worries Manhattan Charity Set

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s impending departure from office is raising concerns among movers and shakers in the city’s philanthropic social set, who fear his successor will be less of a fixture at big-ticket charity galas, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The billionaire mayor has regularly attended major fundraisers and other social events throughout his three terms and is considered by organizers to be a key “get” who adds prominence and credibility to lavish parties. Gala producers and attendees worry that neither Democratic mayoral nominee Bill de Blasio nor Republican hopeful Joe Lhota will match the mayor’s star power or appetite for glamorous events.

“Big donors need to feel that they are in the right place, and being in the room with [Mr. Bloomberg] makes people feel important,” said Jonathan Marder, a New York publicist.