HARTFORD, Conn. — Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to campaign in Connecticut to help Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Chris Murphy in the final days of his tight race against Republican Linda McMahon.
A person close to Murphy's campaign told The Associated Press on Friday that Clinton is scheduled to be in the state on Sunday, Oct. 28. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details are not final.
Clinton will be appearing at a public event to support Murphy in the race to succeed the retiring independent U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman. No further details were immediately made available.
Some Democratic officials had hoped Clinton would make an appearance in Connecticut and help boost voter turnout at the polls. Clinton made a similar appearance in 2010, headlining events to help Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes in the final days before the election. Both ultimately won their elections.
"I think people in Connecticut are always excited to see Bill Clinton and are excited when Bill Clinton comes to the state," state Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said.
President Barack Obama came to Bridgeport on the day before the Clinton 2010 visit to rally for Democratic candidates, urging those in the packed auditorium to harness their excitement from the 2008 presidential election and turn out again in large numbers to support Malloy, Himes and then-Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who ultimately defeated McMahon for a different U.S. Senate seat.
Clinton is one of numerous well-known political figures coming to Connecticut to campaign on behalf of either McMahon or Murphy.
On Monday, Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will join McMahon at three events. Rallies are planned in Stamford, Waterbury and Glastonbury.
Murphy campaigned on Friday with Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Chris Coons of Delaware, as well as Blumenthal. On Saturday, Blumenthal, Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., are scheduled to appear at a rally for Murphy at the student union at the University of Connecticut.
McMahon's campaign on Friday called on Murphy to cancel the event with Franken, accusing the former "Saturday Night Live" comedy writer of once making a joke about rape.
"You can judge a man by the company he keeps, and Congressman Murphy tells Connecticut voters all they need to know about him with this latest campaign stunt," McMahon campaign manager Corry Bliss said in a statement the campaign posted on Twitter.
Murphy's campaign shot back, with spokesman Eli Zupnick saying it was "absurd" that McMahon's campaign was "digging up a tasteless joke made by someone more than 15 years ago." He said McMahon and her campaign should review the past programming on McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment, now WWE, when she was CEO, such as the story lines featuring simulated rape and necrophilia, "before they start throwing pebbles from their glass mansion."
Murphy also has several events planned next week featuring prominent women. Democratic U.S. Sens. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Connecticut Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, ware slated to appear with Murphy at a rally in Bushnell Park at noon Tuesday.