Bill Clinton greets Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper at the Clinton Global Initiative in downtown Denver in June 2015. (Photo by Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post)
Former President Bill Clinton made an unannounced trip to Denver on Thursday to rally volunteers for his wife’s campaign ahead of Colorado’s March 1 caucus.
The Hillary Clinton campaign kept news of the trip limited to campaign volunteers and top-level supporters, and his visit only became apparent after from the afternoon event. The secrecy surrounding the trip is abnormal for a campaign seeking as much attention as possible as it tries to build energy ahead of the state’s vote.
Thank you for firing up our for Colorado volunteers & getting us ready for caucus!
— Marguerita (@mtenhout)
At least two Colorado lawmakers attended the event. , D-Lakewood, and House Majority Leader of Denver posted photos from the event to Twitter. Duran later confirmed the president’s visit in response to a question from The Denver Post.
He says his wife is a ‘change maker.’ I agree.
— Crisanta Duran (@crisantaduran)
A Hillary Clinton campaign spokeswoman later told The Post that “there were no public events on this trip” but did not immediately respond to questions about why it was kept hush-hush. The trip likely included a fundraising component, as most do, but the campaign did not respond to questions about the nature of the visit.
Clinton focused part of his message on his wife’s economic agenda and her leadership qualities, according to Twitter posts from supporters at the event.
. talking abt ‘s leadership on this election’s defining issues of w/ our precinct captains in Colorado
— Lorella Praeli (@lorellapraeli)
Earlier in the day, Bill Clinton stumped in New Hampshire for his wife, where he acknowledged he is worried about the campaign as it faces a stiff challenge from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“This has turned into an interesting election,” Clinton told a rally in Salem, according to . “We’re fighting it out in Iowa. We’ve got a little lead that I think is solidifying and maybe growing a little bit. We’re on a home-field disadvantage here.”
Hillary Clinton is facing new questions about her e-mail practices as secretary of state concerning how she handled sensitive information. The company that managed her e-mail server is .
The former president’s stop in Denver appears to coincide with his travel to Nevada on Friday, where he is giving speeches to private groups that have supported his foundation. These speeches, a campaign spokesperson told the online political publication, are not paid.
Bill Clinton visited Denver in June for his foundation’s annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting and maintains strong connections to top Democrats in the area. However, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and former Gov. Dick Lamm in the fall — remarks that drew national attention to her beleaguered campaign.
