Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will be the keynote speaker at the Democratic Party of Arkansas' annual fundraiser July 18 in North Little Rock, party Chairman Vince Insalaco said Wednesday.
The party's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner will be held at Verizon Arena.
Arkansas Republicans will hold their annual Reagan-Rockefeller fundraising dinner in Hot Springs on July 17, party Chairman Doyle Webb said Wednesday. Details and speaker information will be announced soon, he said.
Clinton, the wife of former President Bill Clinton, is a former Arkansas first lady, U.S. senator and U.S. secretary of state.
"As Arkansas' first lady, Hillary worked tirelessly to secure a better future for our children and families -- a responsibility that she continued as the first lady of the United States, a U.S. senator and as secretary of state," Insalaco said in a written statement. "We are excited to welcome her to an Arkansas homecoming that celebrates both that progress and looks toward a hopeful future."
Clinton moved to Arkansas in 1974 shortly after serving as an attorney for the congressional committee that investigated President Richard Nixon. She taught students at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville before marrying Bill Clinton, who later won elections for governor and the presidency.
She co-founded Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and led multiple campaigns to improve children's health and education in Arkansas, according to the state Democratic Party.
State Democratic Party Executive Director Candace Martin said the party hasn't endorsed Clinton for president.
Others who've said they're running for president as Democrats are former Rhode Island Gov. and U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Webb, the state GOP chairman, said Arkansas Republicans are trying to get the party's presidential candidates to help raise money at party events.
"Our Reagan-Rockefeller dinner, the RPA's largest annual fundraiser, will be held at the Hot Springs Convention Center in Horner Hall on July 17," Webb said in a written statement. "The RR dinner is the opening event of our state Republican Leadership weekend, which includes our summer State Committee meeting and workshops. The announcement of details and the speaker will be forthcoming."
Webb declined to say whether the keynote speaker will be former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is among at least 10 Republicans who have said they are running for president in 2016.
Both Clinton and Huckabee ran unsuccessfully for their parties' presidential nominations in 2008.
Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson last month signed into law a bill moving the state's 2016 primary elections from May 24 to March 1 to allow Arkansas to participate with several other Southern states in what its supporters call the SEC presidential primary.
Other states that plan to hold a March 1 primary include Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia.
The SEC is the Southeastern Conference, an intercollegiate athletic conference that includes many Southern states.
The party filing period will be from noon Nov. 2 until noon Nov. 9 in the state Capitol, said Chris Powell, a spokesman for Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin.
Webb said his party's 2016 filing fees will be decided July 17 by the party's executive committee, but he doesn't expect any change, including in the $25,000 fee for presidential candidates.
The state Democratic Party State Committee will determine the party's 2016 filing fees during its Aug. 15 meeting, Candace Martin said.
Metro on 06/11/2015