MANCHESTER, N.H. — The New Hampshire Union Leader announced Tuesday it will host its own Democratic presidential debate just five days before voters cast their ballots in the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary. The announcement follows months of complaints from Democratic voters and candidates about the Democratic National Committee’s limited debate schedule.
According to the Union Leader, the debate will air live on MSNBC on Feb. 4 and be moderated by anchors Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow. The DNC declined to comment on whether the additional debate is sanctioned by the committee.
“Our readers have demanded a debate to help them see who is most fit to be the Democratic nominee for President,” Union Leader president Joseph McQuaid told his paper Tuesday. “We were always concerned that this would have been the first time in 32 years without a Democratic debate before the New Hampshire primary. We are glad to partner with MSNBC to ensure Granite Staters have the information they need to make a critical decision on Feb. 9.”
According to the prominent New Hampshire newspaper, a debate between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary has been held “every cycle where there has been a contested election since 1984.”
“Today is a big victory not only for our campaign and our supporters that championed this effort, but it is also a victory for voters across New Hampshire and the United States,” John Bivona, the New Hampshire state director for former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s presidential campaign, wrote in a statement released Tuesday.
At this time, O’Malley is the only Democratic candidate who has confirmed his participation.
Michael Briggs, a spokesman for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, told the Examiner that Sanders’ campaign “will be working with the DNC and the other campaigns to schedule additional debates.” Sanders’ spokesman later told the New York Times the Vermont senator would not participate in an unsanctioned debate due to concerns that it would “jeopardize [his] ability to participate in future [DNC sanctioned] debates.”
Jennifer Palmieri, a spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton said the former secretary of state would be “happy to participate in a debate in New Hampshire if the other candidates agree.” According to Palmieri, if all three candidates accept the invitation, it would “allow the DNC to sanction the debate.”
