Democrats Announce Six Presidential Debates, Including One in Miami

With most of Thursday's focus on tonight's two Republican debates, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced it will hold six presidential primary debates, including one in Florida. 

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., chairwoman of the DNC, announced Thursday the details of already scheduled forums: a debate in Nevada on CNN Oct. 13;  a debate in Des Moines, Iowa, held by CBS and the Des Moines Register Nov. 14; one in Manchester, N.H., on ABC Dec. 19; and one in Charleston, S.C., Jan. 17. 

The DNC unveiled two new debates set either for February or March. One of those will be hosted by Univision and the Washington Post in Miami; the other is scheduled to be held in Wisconsin. 

“We are thrilled to announce the schedule and locations for our Democratic primary debates,”  Wasserman Schultz said. “These six debates will not only give caucus-goers and primary voters ample opportunity to hear from our candidates about their vision for our country’s future, they will highlight the clear contrast between the values of the Democratic Party, which is focused on strengthening the middle class versus Republicans, who want to pursue out-of-touch and out-of-date policies.”
 
The Florida congresswoman showcased the newly scheduled debates. 

“Our debate schedule reflects the diversity of the Democratic Party, and in particular, we are proud to announce today the first-ever party-sanctioned Univision debate,” Wasserman Schultz claimed. 

Wasserman Schultz also noted the inclusion process for the debates. 

“All five of the announced Democratic candidates have been briefed on the debate schedule and agreed to participate in the DNC-sanctioned debate process,” Wasserman Schultz noted. “If any additional Democratic candidates decide to enter the race, they will need to meet the same criteria for participation as the existing candidates: receiving at least 1 percent in three national polls, conducted by credible news organizations and polling organizations, in the six weeks prior to the debate. We are in the process of working with our media partners on formats that allow a robust discussion of critical issues, with all our candidates having equal opportunities to make their views known.”

The current Democratic presidential candidates are former U.S. Sen. and Gov. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island; former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; former Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland; Vermont Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders; and former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia. Vice President Joe Biden is mulling over a run and could get into the race in time for the first debate.

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN