KICKOFF

Clinton Gets Personal in Campaign Speech

Brings up story of her late mother.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made her first major campaign speech on Saturday at a kickoff rally on New York City's Roosevelt Island. In the speech, Clinton favored personal biography over policy talk, beginning with the story of her late mother, Dorothy Rodham. Clinton recounted how Dorothy emerged from an abusive childhood without losing hope in humanity—setting an example for Clinton’s own life as an advocate. She then talked about her family’s belief in America’s “basic bargain”: “If you do your part, you ought to be able to get ahead, and when everybody does their part, America gets ahead too.” Clinton plans to visit early-voting states after the speech.