Politics & Government

Hillary Clinton Is Coming Back To Montclair For Women’s History Event

Hillary Clinton is returning to Montclair as the guest of Sen. Bob Menendez. Here's when – and why.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) announces his endorsement of Hillary Rodham Clinton for president on June 12, 2007 in Washington D.C.
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) announces his endorsement of Hillary Rodham Clinton for president on June 12, 2007 in Washington D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Hillary Clinton is coming back to Montclair, New Jersey.

On Thursday, Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey announced that the former U.S. Secretary of State will be the keynote speaker at the 12th annual Evangelina Menendez Women’s History Month Celebration.

The public event – which honors Menendez’s late mother, a Cuban immigrant – is held to pay tribute to “outstanding New Jersey women” who have notched achievements in government, industry, education, science, the arts and other fields. It will take place on Sunday, March 26 at Montclair State University. People who want to attend can register online here.

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This year’s event will feature awards to New Jersey women including Debbie Walsh, Amanda Devecka-Rinear, Lourdes Cortez, and Christine Girtain, and will include vocal and dance performances from local women’s groups.

Menendez said it is an honor to welcome Clinton back to New Jersey.

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“Her gracious service to our country has left an enormous legacy and has made her an iconic trailblazer, who has paved the way for millions of American women for the generations to come,” the senator said.

Clinton served as the 67th United States secretary of state under former president Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senator representing New York from 2001 to 2009, and as the first lady of the United States from 1993 to 2000. In 2016, she became the first woman in the nation’s history to earn a major political party’s nomination for president, ultimately losing the election to Donald Trump.

In 2017, Clinton visited Watchung Booksellers in Montclair for a book signing event, drawing a huge crowd in a county that turned out overwhelmingly in her favor during the 2016 presidential election; she gathered 231,031 votes in Essex County versus Trump's 62,059.

The line for the signing stretched around the block, with many people without tickets gathering around police barricades in hopes of getting a glimpse of Clinton. Most were eager to see the Democratic Party icon, but some detractors – including a man wearing a prison jumpsuit and an oversized mask of Clinton’s face – also made an appearance.

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