OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — New York Mayor Bill de Blasio will be the keynote speaker for the University of Nebraska Peter J. Hoagland Lecture next week.

The event, which is free and open to the public, takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Mammel Hall on the University of Nebraska at Omaha Pacific Campus. Seating is limited, so reservations are recommended.

The mayor’s speech will focus on fighting income inequality. He’s scheduled to give a similar speech earlier Thursday at Drake University in Iowa.

The visits come as de Blasio moves to expand his national profile. De Blasio, a Democrat, has close ties to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who will launch her 2016 presidential candidacy on Sunday.