Arkansas History: Bill Clinton’s 1978 Governor’s Primary Victory Speech

This week in Arkansas history, we take you back to 1978.

A young, rising politician named Bill Clinton – age 32 – the state’s one-term attorney general, won the Democratic nomination for Arkansas Governor.

Clinton pulled 59% of the vote in a five-man Democratic field that included Joe Woodward, Frank Lady, Randall Mathis, and Monroe Schwarzlose.

Through our partnership with Ch. 7 and the University of Arkansas Pryor Center for Oral and Visual History, we take you to Clinton’s victory speech on primary night 1978 at Little Rock’s Camelot Hotel in the video below. Clinton would go on to defeat Republican Lynn Lowe by a 63-37% margin that fall and the rest – as they say – is history.

On Election Night on Tuesday, May 20, we will be playing more videos of campaign speeches from Arkansas history. Some of those memorable moments include highlights from speeches made by: Win Rockefeller, Orval Faubus, Dale Bumpers, David Pryor, J. William Fulbright, John McClellan, Bill Clinton, Tommy Robinson, Winston Bryant and Tim Hutchinson.

Here are the details on how to follow our Primary Election Night coverage from Talk Business & Politics and KATV Channel 7.