With U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., expected to defeat her in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday night, former U.S. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton is looking ahead to Florida which holds its primary on March 15.
The Clinton team announced on Tuesday that their candidate will hit Palm Beach County on Monday for what is being labeled a “grassroots event.”
“Clinton will lay out the case for why she is the only candidate who has the experience to get the job done and make a real difference in the lives of Florida families,” the Clinton campaign emailed the media on Tuesday. “She’ll discuss why her lifetime of experience fighting for families and getting results has prepared her to do all parts of the job of president and stop Republicans from ripping away the progress that we've made.”
In the meantime, Clinton’s team is starting to get more engaged in the Sunshine State. On Wednesday, the Clinton camp is opening its first South Florida office in Pompano Beach.
Former U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Fla., will be on hand to launch the new office and he went to bat for Clinton on Tuesday.
"Broward Democrats are excited to mobilize behind Hillary's historic run for president," Klein insisted. "From protecting Obamacare to standing up against Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, Hillary is the only candidate who has what it takes to deliver real results for our community. We're looking forward to talking with our friends and neighbors about Hillary's commitment to continue fighting for our families."
The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) welcomed Clinton to the Sunshine State with a few jabs her way.
“Unfortunately for Hillary Clinton, a political event will not change the fact that Floridians are unhappy with her unsuccessful record as secretary of State and the FBI investigation into her secret email server," Wadi Gaitan, a spokesman for the RPOF, said. "Our nation is eager for a transparent leader that is ready to fight for an effective government while creating economic opportunity for all Americans.”
Polls have shown Clinton out front in the Sunshine State but Sanders could close the gap after his strong performance in Iowa where he held her to a virtual tie as well as after New Hampshire where polls have him in the lead.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN.
