Hillary Clinton would be lost and that her accomplishments would be viewed in light of someone else. In 1974, Bill Clinton lost an Arkansas congressional race, facing incumbent Republican Hammersmith. Rodham and Bill Clinton bought a house in Fayetteville in the summer of 1975 and she finally agreed to marry him. The wedding took place on October 11, 1975, in a Methodist ceremony in their living room. A story about the marriage in the "Arkansas Gazette" indicated that she decided to retain the name Hillary Rodham. Her motivation was threefold. She wanted to keep the couple's professional lives separate, avoid apparent conflicts
Cultural and political image of Hillary Clinton noted that they would no longer use "Rodham" in referring to Clinton, with the AP stating that "the campaign says to go with Hillary Clinton", and the New York Times providing the statement that: The changing usage of Clinton's name has been noted by various observers, and has been related to her political and social role at the time: Political detractors have often referred to Clinton by any of a number of portmanteau names combining "Hillary" with other words having negative connotations. Cultural and political image of Hillary Clinton The cultural and political image of Hillary Clinton has been explored