Democrats will hold presidential debate in Las Vegas

Las Vegas will host a Democratic presidential primary debate on Feb. 19, just two days before the state’s third-in-the-nation caucus, the Democratic National Committee announced Thursday.

The debate will be the ninth in Democratic cycle and will be hosted in partnership with the Nevada Democratic Party. NBC, MSNBC and the Nevada Independent will act as media partners.

Nevada is the third state on the Democratic Party’s national nominating calendar, with a caucus on Feb. 22. (Four days of early voting will take place before the caucus.) Nevada’s debate will also follow the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary.

The event’s format, moderators and venue have not yet been announced.

It is not yet known what the qualification criteria for candidates will be. The DNC has increased polling and donor thresholds throughout the cycle. Seven of the 15 Democrats running for president have qualified for the next debate on Dec. 19 in Los Angeles.

Nevada Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy II said the party is excited to host a discussion of the issues most important to Nevadans on the eve of the caucus.

“Nevada plays a crucial role in the presidential primary as the first western state, the first diverse state and the first battleground state to make its voice heard,” McCurdy said.

Other early states — Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — will also host debates just before their nominating contests.

Contact Rory Appleton at 702-383-0276 or RAppleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @RoryDoesPhonics on Twitter.