Leading candidates for the U.S. Senate and governor's races in Arkansas are scheduled to speak at a conference in Memphis.
Two-term incumbent Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat, and the Republican opponent for his Senate seat, U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, will speak Friday at the Delta Grassroots Caucus at the Agricenter in east Memphis.
Also scheduled to speak are former Congressmen Mike Ross and Asa Hutchinson, who are competing to replace Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe.
Beebe, a Democrat like Ross, cannot run again due to term limits. Hutchinson is a Republican who lost the governor's race in 2006.
Topics likely to be discussed include the federal government shutdown, the economy and the Affordable Care Act. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. also are scheduled speakers.