Democrats Agree to Debate Before NH Primary

MANCHESTER, NH - After numerous complaints from voters that there were not enough debates for the Democrat candidates and that the debates aired on nights when people weren’t watching, the three candidates have agreed to participate to another debate in February, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.

The debate announcement comes weeks after New Hampshire Debates, a collection of activists and officials disappointed that there were only six debates and no debates just before the Feb. 9, first-in-the-nation primary, began actively calling for more debates.

NBC News and the New Hampshire Union Leader will be hosting the debate, with Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow hosting. It will air on MSNBC.

“We were always concerned that this would have been the first time in 32 years without a Democratic debate before the New Hampshire primary,” said Joseph W. McQuaid, president and publisher of the Union Leader in a statement. “We are glad to partner with MSNBC to ensure Granite Staters have the information they need to make a critical decision on Feb. 9.”

New Hampshire Debates issued a statement saying it applauded both the newspaper and the network for offering to host the debate.

“Our historic first in the nation Primary will benefit immensely from a final, prime time reckoning between the three candidates,” according to the statement.

John Bivona, the New Hampshire state director for Martin O’Malley’s campaign, called the announcement a big victory for voters.

“In keeping with the best traditions of the New Hampshire Primary, we have always believed that the voters of the Granite State deserve more than one opportunity to see their candidates for President debate side by side,” he said. “That’s why Governor O’Malley was the only Democratic candidate for President to consistently call out the DNC for its unprecedented role in silencing debate, and to lead the charge for more debates.

Read the full post on UnionLeader.com.