Hillary Clinton made a grand apology to Appalachia during her first general election campaign stop in southern Ohio on Tuesday.
“It shouldn’t have to be said but I’ll say it: Appalachia is a vital part of the United States,” Clinton told voters on the last stop of her Appalachia tour in Athens, Ohio. “Appalachia is home to some of the most hardworking resilient people on this planet and you deserve the same opportunity to get ahead and stay ahead in America.”
Although Clinton won the Ohio primary in March, beating Sanders 56-42, she returned to the state on Tuesday to appeal to Appalachian voters after angering many of them in March by saying that she hoped to put “coal companies out of business” with renewable energy. During a campaign stop in West Virginia on Monday Clinton apologized for the comment, claiming she “misspoke.”
“I know for a lot of people in this region … you’ve had a lot of politicians make promises over the years and not keep them,” Clinton explained. “If I’m elected president I will fight for you and your families every day whether you support me or not. I will be your partner and I will not for one minute give up on Appalachia — not on your workers, your children, your retirees, your communities.”
In Southern Ohio, Sen. Sherrod Brown, a politician who has been floated as a potential running mate for Clinton, joined the former Secretary of State on stage. While speaking to the southern Ohio voters, Clinton admitted she knew that coal country isn’t an area that has historically “not a place for democrats,” but if elected she hoped to work with the community and help meet their needs.
“At a time when our energy sector is changing rapidly we need to invest in coal communities,” Clinton said. “We are accelerating transition to clean energy economy. But that is still a transition. Anybody who pretends we can flip a switch and be in the clean energy future isn’t telling the truth.”
