A Democratic presidential debate will take place in South Carolina just a few days before the state's voters head to the polls for the critical "First in the South" primary.
CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute will co-host the debate on Feb. 25 at the Gaillard Center in Charleston, the Democratic National Committee announced Thursday. Twitter will also be a debate partner, along with the Democratic National Committee and South Carolina Democratic Party.
"We are so excited to welcome all our partners to South Carolina for this incredible opportunity," said S.C. Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson. "The First in the South primary is such an important part of picking our next president, and we are all looking forward to the candidates presenting their plans for South Carolina, and for the nation, in the Lowcountry."
All four of the early-voting states will hold debates shortly before their caucuses or primaries, with South Carolina's falling after Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. South Carolina's debate will be the 10th overall since the beginning of the primary race.
The debate will serve as one last crucial opportunity for the candidates to make their pitches to South Carolina voters before the Feb. 29 election, as well as voters in the 14 "Super Tuesday" states that hold their primaries just a few days later on March 3.
It will also likely draw thousands of reporters, campaign staffers and voters to downtown Charleston, offering the city an opportunity to play a visible role on the national stage.
Qualification criteria, format and moderators will be announced at a future date, the DNC said. The debate will air live on television and online. Questions about ticketing can be directed to the S.C. Democratic Party at info@scdp.org.
A total of 14 candidates filed to appear on the South Carolina ballot and were certified by the S.C. Democratic Party last week.
Former Vice President Joe Biden remains the front-runner in all polls of S.C. Democratic voters so far, though a bevy of other contenders have been working to narrow the gap, spending significant campaign time and resources in the Palmetto State.
