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Hillary Clinton Pumps Up NY Primary Campaign With Purchase College Visit

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- Chappaqua's Hillary Clinton gave a rousing speech to more than 500 college students and other supporters on the campus of SUNY Purchase in Harrison Thursday. 

Minutes before Hillary Clinton's speech, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, right, casts an absentee ballot for the April 19 New York Democratic presidential primary Thursday at Purchase College. Clinton of Chappaqua was pleased by his choice.

Minutes before Hillary Clinton's speech, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, right, casts an absentee ballot for the April 19 New York Democratic presidential primary Thursday at Purchase College. Clinton of Chappaqua was pleased by his choice.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig

Hillary Clinton of Chappaqua spoke to more than 500 Purchase College students and Democratic Party supporters on Thursday afternoon. This is part of her 30-minute speech in which she said the path to the White House goes through New York.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig
U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey of Harrison, right, introduces Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton before her campaign speech at Purchase College. A capacity crowd of more than 500 filled the Recital Hall including some Bernie Sanders supporters.

U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey of Harrison, right, introduces Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton before her campaign speech at Purchase College. A capacity crowd of more than 500 filled the Recital Hall including some Bernie Sanders supporters.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig
Hundreds of Hillary Clinton's supporters in her bid for president lined up outside the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase for Thursday's campaign rally.

Hundreds of Hillary Clinton's supporters in her bid for president lined up outside the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase for Thursday's campaign rally.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig
The stage is set -- literally -- for Democratic presidential frontrunner and Chappaqua resident Hillary Clinton to speak at Purchase College Thursday afternoon.

The stage is set -- literally -- for Democratic presidential frontrunner and Chappaqua resident Hillary Clinton to speak at Purchase College Thursday afternoon.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig
A long line at SUNY Purchase stretches hundreds of yards on Thursday around 12:15 p.m.

A long line at SUNY Purchase stretches hundreds of yards on Thursday around 12:15 p.m.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig
A supporter of Hillary Clinton's posts a sign outside SUNY Purchase's Performing Arts Center on Thursday morning. Clinton made her first New York primary stop in Westchester at the campus in Harrison.

A supporter of Hillary Clinton's posts a sign outside SUNY Purchase's Performing Arts Center on Thursday morning. Clinton made her first New York primary stop in Westchester at the campus in Harrison.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig
Hillary Clinton works the rope line at SUNY Purchase.

Hillary Clinton works the rope line at SUNY Purchase.

Photo Credit: Lisa Hofflich

It was the Democratic presidential candidate's first official campaign event in Westchester Couny leading up to the April 19 primary election in New York. 

"I believe the path to the White House goes right through New York,' and I'm not taking anything for granted," Clinton said of this state's importance to her defeating U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Twitter feeds from her local appearance can be found by clicking here:

A total of 247 delegates are at stake in Clinton's runoff against Sanders, a native of Brooklyn.

Earlier Thursday, Sanders made his first New York campaign stop in the South Bronx. Several dozen young Sanders supporters interrupted Clinton's speech -- shouting "She wins, we lose" -- before walking out peacefully.

Clinton is battling Sanders for first-time voters who generally favored Barack Obama over her during her unsuccessful presidential race in 2008. 

In her speech, she trashed Sanders' claim he can make college tuition free while detailing her plan for student loan breaks and reduced interest. Clinton called it unfair that Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's grandchildren will go to college for free while most American students are saddled with skyrocketing debt.

GOP presidential candidates -- including Trump who owns properties in Westchester -- also have begun traipsing the state for their April 19 primary and 95 delegates.

Clinton repeatedly called herself a doer as opposed to a complainer or whiner, saying, "Politics is the art of making possible what appears to be impossible."

Clinton detailed her support for health-care coverage, gun control, abortion rights, equal rights, human rights and voting rights -- which she said "are under assault" by Republican Party leaders.

A year after moving to Chappaqua in 1999, Clinton announced her race for U.S. Senate at Purchase College before more than 2,000 students, as recorded in this CNN transcript. 

"It is so good to be home," Clinton said. "Westchester is more than a county to us. It's a community."

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