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WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- With the field for the Democratic nomination for president down to two candidates, the Democratic National Committee has agreed to more debates. Luis Miranda, a spokesman for the DNC, told The Washington Post on Wednesday that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will get four more debates.
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The next one is at 9 p.m. Thursday in Manchester, N.H., to be televised on MSNBC.
Originally, the debate was announced as a partnership between MSNBC and The New Hampshire Union Leader, but the paper was dropped from the debate on Sunday.
When the debate was announced weeks ago, it had not been sanctioned by the DNC, which meant candidates ran the risk of being disqualified from future debates. However, the DNC has decided to sanction the event.
Three more debates will follow, according to The Post: one in March in Flint, Mich., (at Clinton's request), one in Pennsylvania in April and another in California in May. The exact times and places have not been determined. These are in addition to the two debates previously scheduled by the DNC.
Sanders and Clinton had been haggling over the details for weeks. Tad Devine, a Sanders campaign official, told The Hill on Tuesday that Sanders was arguing for a debate in New York City. Sanders told CNN Wednesday afternoon that Clinton's campaign had shot down a New York City debate.
Pressure to schedule more debates has been mounting.
On Monday, Sanders finished in a near-tie with Clinton in the Iowa caucuses.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who had previously criticized the DNC's debate schedule, dropped out of the race Monday.
Clinton and Sanders are scheduled to participate in a town hall held by CNN in Manchester, N.H., on Wednesday night.
