- Washington Free Beacon - https://freebeacon.com -

New Hampshire Changes Name of Fall Fundraising Dinner to Stop Honoring Bill Clinton

The New Hampshire Democratic Party announced plans Wednesday to rename its fall fundraising dinner from the Kennedy-Clinton dinner to the Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner.

That dinner was renamed the Kennedy-Clinton dinner, named after former presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton, from the Jefferson-Jackson dinner in 2016. But party activists have been pushing for another change because of controversy over past allegations of sexual harassment against Clinton, the Concord Monitor reports.

"We are proud to honor Eleanor Roosevelt, a woman revered around the world for her bold leadership and tireless efforts to create justice. She dedicated her life to helping all hard-working Americans and all those who needed a champion," New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley said in a statement.

Buckley added that the new name is particularly fitting due to the state party's commitment to electing Democratic women. He pointed out that New Hampshire is the first state to elect a female legislative majority, the first woman elected governor and U.S. senator, and the first all-female all-Democratic federal delegation.

"This event will help support and elect Democrats up and down the ballot who share the same values of social and economic justice as Eleanor Roosevelt," he said.

Last November, New Hampshire GOP chair Jeanie Forrester urged state Democrats to remove Clinton's name from the dinner.

At the dinner and at a state party meeting in December, most New Hampshire Democrats, other than a few activists, did not seem enthused to change the name, but state party vice-chair Mo Baxley told the Monitor, "I do think we will" change the name of the dinner.

The name change comes amid the rise of the #MeToo movement and increased unpopularity of Clinton as a result of his affair with Monica Lewinsky and alleged sexual assaults of other women.

Just four years ago, Clinton headlined the fundraising dinner.