Democrats announce plans for presidential primary debates
Sessions to be televised
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democratic National Committee announced details Friday for four of six presidential primary debates that will involve the nine candidates seeking the party's 2004 presidential nomination.
The campaigns requested that the DNC negotiate the unprecedented number of televised debates, the DNC said in a news release.
"This series of debates will be a powerful tool for our candidates to communicate with millions of Americans," DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe said. "Our candidates will put forth powerful ideas to move our economy and our country forward. These debates will be a giant step towards us reclaiming the White House for the American people."
Here is the schedule:
• September 4 in Albuquerque, New Mexico: The event will be hosted by Gov. Bill Richardson and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and broadcast jointly by Univision and participating Public Broadcasting System stations.
• September 25 in New York City: This CNBC/Wall Street Journal debate will be broadcast by CNBC and MSNBC.
• October 12 in Phoenix, Arizona: It will be hosted by Gov. Janet Napolitano and the Arizona Democratic Party and broadcast on CNN.
• October 26 in Detroit, Michigan: This debate is to be hosted by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Network broadcasting to be determined.
Two additional debates, to be held in November and December in Iowa and New Hampshire, will be announced in the coming weeks, the DNC said.
"This is the most extensive and aggressive schedule of televised debates in the history of our nominating process," McAuliffe said. "Since they are Democratic candidates, we know that the debate will be substantive, the ideas compelling and the result a more informed electorate."
The first televised debate among the Democratic White House hopefuls was held earlier this year in South Carolina.
