FIRST ON BUZZ: Hillary Clinton to speak at SC Democratic women’s event in Columbia
Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is coming to Columbia on Wednesday for her first trip back to the Palmetto State since her 2008 presidential campaign.
The former secretary of state will give the keynote address at the third annual 2015 Day in Blue, the event’s co-hosts announced Sunday.
Clinton also will hold a roundtable discussion with minority small business owners and make brief remarks to the S.C. House and Senate Democratic caucuses.
Hosted by the S.C. Democratic Women’s Council and the S.C. House Democratic Women’s Caucus, the Day in Blue brings together S.C. Democratic women to the State House for a conference.
Clinton will give her keynote address at 1:45 p.m. at the Columbia Marriott.
Clinton’s visit comes more than a month after her April 12 entry into the race and after she has campaigned in early primary states Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
Clinton’s stops so far have consisted of small, controlled events and roundtable discussions.
The campaign has announced a larger campaign kick-off event scheduled for June 13, but the location has not been announced.
An ongoing congressional inquiry into Clinton’s leadership of the U.S. Department of State during the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and revelations that she used a private email account and server to conduct state department business have followed her on the campaign trail.
Last Friday, on her second visit to New Hampshire, Clinton took questions from a gaggle of reporters, marking a shift from the distance she has kept from the media since entering the race.
Also the heavy favorite in the race, Clinton returns to the Palmetto State after a seven-year absence. She last was in South Carolina during the January 2008 Democratic presidential primary debate in Myrtle Beach. She lost the S.C. primary to then-Sen. Barack Obama who won all but two counties.
The former first lady’s S.C. trip also trails visits by her rivals, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who was first to announce he’s seeking the nomination. Former governors Martin O’Malley of Maryland and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island are expected to announce soon. Former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia also is eyeing a run.
Clinton will head to Florida on Thursday and Friday followed by a June 3-4 trip to Texas, according to media reports.
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Republican presidential hopefuls in SC this week
Tuesday
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson will join Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, R-Charleston, for neighborhood office hours at 3:45 p.m. at the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market.
Wednesday
Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina will speak at a S.C. House Republican Caucus luncheon in Columbia. The event starts at 12:30 p.m. at the Hilton Columbia Center.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is considering a run, is speaking to the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce in Charleston.
Friday
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky will attend a York County GOP barbecue at 1 p.m. at the Palmetto Room in Rock Hill; a 3:30 p.m. meet-and-greet at the Beacon Drive-In restaurant in Spartanburg; and two Greenville events: 5:30 p.m., Greenville GOP headquarters, and 7 p.m., Connolly’s Irish Pub.
June 1
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of Seneca will make his White House bid official in his hometown of Central, S.C., at 10:30 a.m. Graham later will host a ticketed fundraiser luncheon in Clemson.
This story was originally published May 24, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "FIRST ON BUZZ: Hillary Clinton to speak at SC Democratic women’s event in Columbia."