Democrats add 4 more debates to presidential calendar

The ball got rolling behind additional debates when MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow pressed Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and the DNC on adding more debates.

The decision expands the total number of Democratic debates from six to ten, and suggests both campaigns are prepared for a drawn-out primary battle that will extend at least until May. Once the candidates agree on details for the new debates, they will be allowed to participate in the MSNBC debate, though the Union Leader will not be a sponsor.

The additional debates will include Flint, Michigan on March 6, and two other cities in April and May. The May debate is likely to take place in California.

Bernie Sanders’ campaign on Tuesday refused to commit to a debate with Hillary Clinton for later this week until she signed off on a separate debate proposed for Brooklyn.

Sanders spokesperson Michael Briggs confirmed that the campaigns had agreed to the four debates.

“We have three incredible Democratic candidates running for president and this is a fantastic opportunity for voters in New Hampshire and around the country to hear their plans to build on the progress we’ve made just days before the New Hampshire primary”.

Two other Democratic debates are scheduled for February 11 in Milwaukee and March 9 in Miami. We have consistently worked with our campaigns to ensure a schedule that is both robust and allows our candidates to engage with voters in a variety of ways, whether through debates, forums, or town halls, while also leaving them the flexibility to attend county fairs and living room conversations for the direct voter contact that matters so much in the early states. Both the Sanders and the Martin O’Malley campaigns had criticized the DNC for holding just six debates, and for holding many of them on weekends.

Democrats will not only get their New Hampshire debate on February 4.