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Third round of Democratic debates set for Houston in September

By Clyde Hughes
Democratic presidential primary candidates stand before moderators at the Knight Concert Hall in Miami, Fla., on June 26. Photo by Gustavo Cabellero/NBC News/MSNBC/Telemundo/UPIO/UPI
Democratic presidential primary candidates stand before moderators at the Knight Concert Hall in Miami, Fla., on June 26. Photo by Gustavo Cabellero/NBC News/MSNBC/Telemundo/UPIO/UPI | License Photo

July 10 (UPI) -- The Democratic National Committee has announced the party's third presidential primary debate will be held in Houston for two nights in September.

The debates are set for Sept. 12 and 13 and will be televised by ABC News and Univision.

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"We're heading to Houston for the third Democratic presidential primary debate," the party tweeted Tuesday. "Tune in to catch our incredible candidates as they take the stage in Houston."

The party did not announce a location, but potential venues are the University of Houston, Texas Southern University and the George R. Brown Convention Center, ABC News reported.

"As the nation's most diverse city, Houston is the perfect place for the Democratic Party's third debate," DNC chief Tom Perez said. "Leaders like congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner have been key to making Houston the world-class city it is today."

The DNC has tightened qualifications for the third debate, making it the first to have a potentially paired down field from the 20 candidates that took the stage in Miami last month for the first round of debates. The second is set for July 30 and 31 in Detroit and will be broadcast by CNN.

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Party rules say candidates must have at least 2 percent support in four national polls -- or at least that threshold in the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Qualifiers must also receive donations from at least 130,000 unique donors in 20 states by Aug. 28.

One Democrat who will certainly not be in Houston is Eric Swalwell, who dropped out of the race Monday. A day later, San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer entered the campaign.

Candidates qualified for the first two debates with just 1 percent support or 65,000 unique donors.

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Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., are introduced prior to the NBC, MSNBC, Telemundo Democratic Primary Debate in Miami on Thursday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

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