Huckabee, Hillary Campaigns Bring Messages To Arkansas

The two presidential candidates with ties to Arkansas ended the week making their pitch to voters and gathering supporters in the Natural State.

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., on Friday released a 91-second video online, called “Hope”. The video shows Huckabee driving through the Hempstead County town talking about where he grew up.

“We’re on Second Street in Hope, the street I lived on, and about a block from my house, this is the fire station,” the video started. “This is where my dad worked.”

Huckabee made his presidential announcement Tuesday at the University of Arkansas Community College in Hope with family and supporters in attendance.

The video also shows Huckabee visiting his boyhood home.

“I hope I never forget where I come from. I hope I never forget this porch. I hope I never forget what it’s like to live in a neighborhood where neighbors know each other and care about each other, where people have to work hard just to be able to put food on the table and put clothes on their kids backs, pay the rent on a rent house like the one I lived in,” Huckabee said.

Huckabee is one of six Republican candidates so far to seek the GOP nod. Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Dr. Ben Carson and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina have all stated their intentions to run.

According to public reports, former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., is expected to announce his plans May 27 while Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, will announce June 1. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is also expected to enter the field.

HILLARY

The group, Hillary for Arkansas, is also working on a plan to build grassroots supporters for Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

The group is hosting organizational meetings May 14, 2015 at two sites around the state. The events will be at Next Level Events, 1400 West Markham in Little Rock and U.S. Pizza, 202 West Dickson Street in Fayetteville.

Clinton is joined in the Democratic Presidential field by Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vermont, who is running as a Democrat in the 2016 presidential race.

Both towns have historic ties to Clinton and her husband, former President and Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton.

Both lived in Little Rock while Bill Clinton was governor and in Fayetteville when he was a professor at the University of Arkansas.