Salinas – Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton delivered a message of unity to a crowd of hundreds packed into Hartnell College’s auxiliary gym on Wednesday afternoon, saying “we are stronger when we embrace immigrants and not denigrate immigrants.”

Clinton was visiting ahead of the June 7 California primary for the Democratic party’s nomination for president.

Congressional candidate Jimmy Panetta introduced Clinton. He recalled working for Clinton when she was the first lady and how she gave “a hell of a speech” in the rain in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to just 50 people. He said the crowd of about 500 on Wednesday helped him feel like he was making up for that small crowd in Pawtucket.

Panetta said he supported Clinton because she gets things done. “She will be a force to be reckoned with,” Panetta said.

As about 45 supporters stood behind Clinton, she endorsed Panetta. “I know this family, you know this family,” Clinton said, recalling Leon Panetta’s work with the Clinton administration. She also talked about working with Leon Panetta in advising President Barack Obama on the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

But, she made a point of saying Jimmy Panetta was his own man.

Clinton last visited the area in 2008 when she was campaigning for the nomination against Obama.

Among the talking points she addressed Wednesday, Clinton said she is the best candidate to raise income for California families, saying the economy prospers under Democratic presidents, pointing out her husband’s administration and the work Leon Panetta did on the budget as her husband’s chief of staff.

Clinton said she wanted to do more to help schools like Hartnell, because it serves a lot of first-generation students. She said she wants to help students with their school debt.

Clinton did not address a State Department Inspector General report released Wednesday that said when she was secretary of state her use of private email for public business was “not an appropriate method” of preserving documents and she failed to follow the rules or inform key department staff regarding her use of a private email server.