PINE BLUFF -- One day after her win in the South Carolina primary, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Arkansans on Sunday to support her presidential bid and to vote on "Super Tuesday."

The Democratic front-runner told a boisterous crowd that she would "knock down barriers and replace them with ladders of opportunity" if elected.

Speaking on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Clinton promised she would fight to raise the minimum wage, continue the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, overhaul the criminal justice system and make college affordable for all Americans.

She also said she would defend Planned Parenthood and fight for women to receive equal pay for equal work.

Before a predominantly black crowd at a historically black school, she said she would stand against injustice.

"There are barriers of race, barriers of gender, barriers of discrimination against LGBT people. There are barriers against people with disabilities. There are lots of barriers, so we need to be honest about that because I think we are stronger when we all are helping each other get ahead and go as far as your hard work and talent will take you," she said.

During her 35-minute address, the former first lady of Arkansas and the nation made no mention of her Democratic opponent, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

But she told numerous stories about her time in Arkansas, expressing fondness for the place she once called home.

She also praised the private option, a program that uses federal Medicaid funds to help poor Arkansans purchase private health care coverage.

"Both Mike Beebe, the prior Democratic governor, [and] now Asa Hutchinson, the current Republican governor, have been among the most creative leaders in the country to figure out how to expand Medicaid in Arkansas," she said.

Crediting the program with extending health coverage to "more than 100,000 people last time I checked," she said, "I'm proud of Arkansas. ... This was bipartisan. The Republican Legislature had to approve it and I am really supportive of what Gov. Hutchinson is trying to do to make sure it stays here in Arkansas to care for people and provide health care."

During her speech, Clinton also denounced efforts to restrict access to the ballot box and to make voter registration more difficult.

In much of the country, "voting rights are being suppressed. People are being put through hoops," she said, telling of a 102-year-old woman in South Carolina who was told she would need to present her birth certificate in order to register.

"Why are people trying to suppress who can vote? What part of democracy are they afraid of? We need to stand up and say every American is entitled to exercise his or her vote," Clinton said, as the audience erupted with applause.

She also decried the rise in campaign spending by groups that are not required to reveal their donors.

"We've also got to go after secret, unaccountable money in the political system. The terrible decision known as Citizens United has to be reversed," she said, referring to a Supreme Court ruling that struck down key campaign finance law provisions.

"I will appoint Supreme Court justices who care more about a person's right to vote than a billionaire's right to buy an election," she said.

Clinton also said Republicans have an obligation to uphold their "constitutional responsibility to act on the nomination" of a Supreme Court justice when President Barack Obama appoints a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia.

Hundreds of supporters, many of them waving blue and white "Hillary" signs, interrupted her speech over and over with applause. Afterward, many of them stayed to greet her. For 20 minutes, she shook hands and smiled for selfies.

Eight years ago, Arkansans handed Clinton her most lopsided state primary victory; she received just over 70 percent of the vote.

Sunday, supporters predicted she'll win again on Tuesday.

Former Gen. Wesley Clark said he didn't have any doubts about Clinton's chances.

"I think she's going to do great. She is such a strong personality. She's got character, she's got integrity, she's got experience, she's got pizazz. ... She's going to be a great president," he said.

Henry Lee Rogers, 81, who stood in line more than two hours so he'd have a chance to see the candidate, said he'd be voting Tuesday.

"I've loved the Clintons all of my life. Them are some of the best people that ever broke a piece of bread, you know that? Some of the best people," the retired International Paper employee said.

He sees better days ahead with another Clinton in the White House.

"She will do all of the good things for us. All we've got to do is get behind her, vote for her and get her in there," he said. "If we let her slip through our fingers, we're going to be doing a bad thing. ... I just feel like the state of Arkansas ought to be standing tall and vote for her."

Classie Green, 70, said her mind is made up, too.

"Even when she ran against President Obama, I voted for her because I think she's qualified. She has always been in touch with reality and loved people and has a concern for all people," she said. "She's very educated about the issues of the world and I just think it's an honor to know her and to see her. She has prepared herself through life to be the president and I just think it's an honor for us to be able to support her."

Asked what to expect in Arkansas on Election Day, Green said, "I think she's going to do well. We know Hillary here and if they're smart they'll vote for her."

A Section on 02/29/2016