First debate among Democratic White House hopefuls to be in October

Meanwhile, the dates for the final two debates have not been set but the committee says it will be held in Wisconsin and Miami in February or March.

The first televised debate among the five Democratic aspirants for the White House will be held on October 13 in Nevada and will be broadcast by CNN, the Democratic National Committee announced on Thursday.

Republicans will also come to Florida for a debate in March, but no exact date or even a host city has been announced.

“The DNC has no place determining how many times voters in early states can hear from presidential candidates, and what’s ironic is that their schedule has made this process much LESS democratic”, O’Malley senior strategist Bill Hyers said in an email to supporters. The DNC said additional details would be announced soon. Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee-who have comparatively smaller budgets, the chance to share a primetime debate stage with Clinton is a key part of raising their name identification.

“Don’t restrict Democratic candidates’ primary debates”, the petition reads.

“There’s an effort by a few insiders to try to limit the number of debates that we have and I’ve shared with the chair-Debbie Wasserman Schultz-that I think that’s a grave mistake and I think it’s undemocratic”, O’Malley said.

Fox News reports that Bernie Sanders said he is “disappointed, but not surprised”, by the DNC’s six debate schedule, but he hopes more will be added. “If anything, it seems geared toward limiting debate and facilitating a coronation, not promoting a robust debate and primary process”, Hyers said.

Jesse Ferguson, Clinton’s deputy national press secretary, issued a statement after the schedule was released but didn’t call for addtional debate.

For the Democratic Party, this decision is as smart as it is revealing.

Unlike Republicans, who face criticism after allowing only 10 candidates onstage for Thursday’s prime-time debate, the Democratic forums will be far less crowded affairs.

The other Democrats running, in fact, reacted to the debate schedule with a big shrug.

Democrats are entering the primary debate season late in the game compared to previous presidential election cycles.

The first Democratic debate will not happen until October, PBS reported, well after the Republican field has had three opportunities to debate. The candidate from Vermont started a petition in June, calling on the DNC to sanction debates “early and often”, but was rebuked when the DNC announced its plans.