Former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush speaks with reporters during a visit to Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss., on Tuesday, March 26, 2013. (AP Photo/The Clarion-Ledger, Joe Ellis)
North Texas will host what could be the first showdown of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are scheduled to speak at separate events in the Dallas area on April 24, the day before the potential presidential contenders are expected to attend the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
The high-profile pair, considered among the top White House candidates in their respective parties, are just two of the many dignitaries slated to attend the Bush Center’s dedication on April 25 at Southern Methodist University.
Jeb Bush — brother of the 43rd president and father of George P. Bush, a Fort Worth resident who’s running for state land commissioner — was a no-brainer to make the trip to Dallas. And Clinton’s husband, former president Bill Clinton, is expected to speak at the Bush Center ceremony.
In this Jan. 31, 2013 file photo, then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
While neither Hillary Clinton nor Jeb Bush have announced their intentions for the next White House campaign, the dueling speeches will do little to tamp down speculation about a potentially epic clash between two of America’s most prominent political families.
The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth announced Monday that Jeb Bush will speak at a noon luncheon at the Rosewood Crescent. The event, held in conjunction with SMU’s Tower Center for Political Studies, is titled, “Restoring America’s Promise: The Leadership Required and the Policy Changes That Are Needed.”
And as the DMN’s Eric Sheffield reported this morning, Clinton is scheduled to speak that evening to the National Multi Housing Council, an association that represents apartment firms, at the Four Seasons Resort and Club. The speech’s content hasn’t been disclosed.
Follow Tom Benning on Twitter at @tombenning.