Clinton and Sanders will be in Minneapolis next month
Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley are scheduled to speak at a meeting of the Democratic National Committee in Minneapolis on Aug. 28, a person with knowledge of the event's schedule said.
The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the DNC.
Minnesota DFL Party Chair Ken Martin couldn’t confirm the schedule but said he expects every campaign to have a strong presence over the course of the DNC's three days of meetings in Minneapolis. He said he’s hoping all of the candidates make an appearance at what's known as the"cattle call."
“This is the first opportunity that most of these candidates will have to address the whole DNC membership," Martin said.
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A spokesman for the DNC declined to comment when asked about the appearances.
R.T. Rybak, vice chair of the DNC, said he didn’t expect confirmation from the presidential campaigns on the meetings until much closer to the event. But Rybak said he thinks the audience of party donors, state party chairs and other Democratic officials will be a major draw for presidential hopefuls.
"If you’re running for president it’s not a bad idea to find in one place all of these delegates," Rybak said. “But I think the only thing more important than the summer meeting in Minnesota is the fact that it’s next to Iowa where candidates may be more interested in going.”
The three days of meetings in Minneapolis will focus on planning and organizing for the 2016 campaign. The Democratic National Convention will be held in Philadelphia next July.
Both Clinton and Sanders have already made campaign stops in Minnesota.
Clinton held a private fundraiser in Minneapolis in June. Sanders held rallies in Minneapolis and Rochester.
Calls to spokespeople for Clinton, Sanders and O'Malley have not been returned.
A campaign official for Hillary Clinton's campaign confirmed that she'll attend the event. An official with the O'Malley campaign declined to comment. An official representing Bernie Sanders has not responded to an e-mail request.
Minnesota Republican Party Chair Keith Downey said he welcomes the Democratic presidential candidates to Minnesota. He said he thinks the speeches by the presidential candidates will highlight how liberal the party has become as support grows for Sanders, who is a self-described socialist.
“I don’t think people realize how extreme and how far left the Democratic party has become in its core base and that will be on full display in Minnesota if they’re here in August,” Downey said.