TSU chosen as Dem debate site
Two-night event in the ‘heart’ of Houston allows city, county to make ‘national impact’
Texas Southern University will host the third Democratic primary debate, scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13.
The agreement between TSU and ABC News was announced on the network’s “This Week” show on Sunday morning.
“As the heart and soul of Houston, Texas Southern University is proud to serve as the venue for for such a prestigious event,” TSU President Austin Lane said in a statement. “Not only does this reflect positively on the university and the city of Houston, it also provides our students with opportunities to work directly with ABC and its partners to gain valuable experience throughout the process.”
Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said he was proud his alma mater — a historically black university founded in 1927 — was chosen as the debate site.
“There’s no question about it, Harris County will be in play in a major way during the highly competitive Democratic primary and in November,” Ellis said. “It’s a big moment for us — Harris County’s diverse and engaged electorate has a chance to make a national impact in 2020.”
Tom Perez, Democratic National Committee chair, said Houston was an ideal debate site because of the city’s diversity and Democratic elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Mayor Sylvester Turner.
The two-part debate will be held at TSU’s Health & Physical Education arena, which has 7,200 seats, excluding the ven
ue’s floor. The Student Recreation Center will serve was the media center throughout the week.
TSU spokesman Steve Scheffler said the school has yet to determine how many tickets will be available for its roughly 9,700 students.
“We obviously want our students to participate as much as possible throughout the event,” Scheffler said.
The candidates and debate moderators have yet to be announced. To qualify, candidates must amass 130,000 unique donors and receive at least 2 percent support in four qualifying polls. Univision will broadcast a Spanish-language version.
Houston has been a hub of sorts for presidential hopefuls. TSU welcomed eight Democratic presidential hopefuls on campus in April for a forum on women of color. And 10 Democratic candidates visited the George R. Brown Convention Center on July 5 for an event hosted by the National Educators Association, the country’s largest teachers union.
The Republican Party held a debate with its presidential candidates at the University of Houston in 2016, just days before the Texas primary.
Houston was also chosen as a finalist for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, though party leaders ultimately chose Milwaukee. The first Democratic primary debates took place in Miami, while Detroit will serve as the venue for the second at the end of July.