Hillary Clinton stands behind gun laws, education, immigration during Phoenix rally
Mar 21, 2016, 9:41 PM | Updated: Mar 22, 2016, 7:44 am
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign event at Carl Hayden Community High School in Phoenix, Monday, March 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
PHOENIX — Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton spoke out on gun control, comprehensive immigration and statewide education during her rally at Carl Hayden High School on Monday.
Less than 24 hours before the Arizona presidential preference election, about 1,500 Clinton supporters came out to hear the former Secretary of State make one final push at securing the majority of the 85 Democratic delegates.
.@HillaryClinton takes the stage in Phoenix. @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/YGvbdzNYC1
— Cooper Rummell (@KNXCooper) March 21, 2016
“There is an opportunity for everybody in Arizona to go out and vote for the kind of future you want, the kind of president you want,” she said.
Ahead of Clinton’s big speech, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and her husband, retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, took the stage to introduce and announce their support.
Great to see @HillaryClinton with our @GabbyGiffords and @ShuttleCDRKelly in Phoenix. #ImWithHer @JW4Hillary pic.twitter.com/U4GPhQDCZs
— Gretchen Baer (@gretchenbaer) March 21, 2016
“(Clinton is) fighting the gun lobbies in Washington, and that’s why I’m voting for her,” Giffords said.
.@HillaryClinton is tough. She is courageous. In the White House, she will stand up to the gun lobby. That's why #ImWithHer.
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) March 21, 2016
During her nearly half-hour speech, Clinton also touched on topics such as health care, wages, the Second Amendment, education and immigration reform.
.@HillaryClinton: "Before it was called #Obamacare it was called #Hillarycare." @KTAR923
— Cooper Rummell (@KNXCooper) March 21, 2016
“There are three big tests that the president is going to face,” she said. “First, can you make a difference in improving the lives of Americans? Second, can you keep us safe? And third, can you bring us together as a nation — which is where we should be going.”
Clinton also chided Arizona for its spending on education, saying the state is 50th in the nation in spending per student.
. @HillaryClinton: "It is way past time for states to stop building prisons and start investing in higher education." @KTAR923
— Cooper Rummell (@KNXCooper) March 21, 2016
“I believe that Arizona can and needs to do better,” she said. “We’re going to talk about jobs of the future — we’ve got to have our young people educated for those jobs.”
Clinton used her momentum to close her speech on the hot-button topic of immigration reform.
“We are a nation of immigrants and exiles,” she said, promising “to fight for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship.”
KTAR News’ Cooper Rummell and Cronkite News‘ Ty Scholes contributed to this report.
