LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — When it came time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of a dam on the Little Red River this fall, former President Bill Clinton came running. But once he arrived in the state, he had more on his mind than just public works.

He summoned Mike Ross, who had driven him around rural Arkansas during his race for governor in 1982 and is now running for governor himself, to his presidential library for a visit.

“I thought I was going over for a 15-minute meeting with him, and I left two hours later,” said Mr. Ross, recalling a conversation during which Mr. Clinton spoke about everything from Mr. Ross’s fund-raising to his county-level organization and the policy distinctions he could draw with his Republican rival.

Mr. Clinton may be a globe-trotting citizen of the world, but these days he is focusing on his home state, and for good reason: The election ballot for next year looks like a Clinton political family tree, full of the former president’s protégés and ex-staff members and family friends.