About a dozen presidential candidates and potentially thousands of political activists and interested Granite State voters will rally at a major New Hampshire Democratic Party fundraising event Feb. 8 at the SNHU Arena in downtown Manchester.
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NH Primary Source: State Democratic Party to hold major pre-primary fundraising dinner at SNHU Arena
Presidential candidates, activists, supporters, undecided voters to gather three days before voting
Updated: 9:54 PM EST Jan 3, 2020
(New Hampshire Primary Source is a regular feature of WMUR.com on Thursday mornings, with frequent updates throughout the week.)
SHAHEEN-McINTYRE 100 CLUB EXTRAVAGANZA. About a dozen presidential candidates and potentially thousands of political activists and interested Granite State voters will rally at a major New Hampshire Democratic Party fundraising event Feb. 8 at the SNHU Arena in downtown Manchester.
NHDP Chair Raymond Buckley announced Friday the presidential candidates have been invited to speak at the 61st annual Shaheen-McIntyre 100 Club Dinner just three days before the first-in-the-nation primary and the night after a nationally televised debate, co-hosted by WMUR, is held at Saint Anselm College.
The longtime party leader said he expects a sellout crowd at the arena, which seats nearly 12,000 people.
The 100 Club Dinner has been the party’s major fundraising event since its inception in 1959, when it was organized by supporters of then-Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy to promote Kennedy’s presidential candidacy and raise money to rebuild the Democratic Party in the Granite State.
According to the NHDP, since then, every Democratic president and vice president has spoken at the dinner.
The names of former governor and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and the late Sen. Tom McIntyre were added to the dinner’s title 11 years ago, Buckley said.
Buckley said the speaking format this year will be different than past 100 Clubs and will be similar to the Iowa Democrats’ Liberty and Justice Dinner. It will take place “in the round” at the center of the arena floor “with no backdrop, teleprompter or podium,” he said.
“We are anticipating it will be the most financially successful dinner that we’ve ever done,” Buckley said, with tickets going on sale Wednesday.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke at the 2019 100 Club, which was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Manchester. Voting rights activist Jason Kander headlined the 2018 event, while former Vice President Joe Biden was the featured speaker in 2017.
Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley spoke at the arena in 2016.
In prior years, speakers have included former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore.
Buckley said tickets will go on sale next week.