The third Democratic Primary Debates will be held in September at Texas Southern University, according to an announcement made on ABC News show This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
The event will double as a learning opportunity for students of the Historically Black University, as President Dr. Austin A. Lane said in a statement that students will be used as interns and runners, while the school's student-run radio and streaming stations will be utilized to assist the numerous media personnel at the event.
"We are working with our schools of Communications and Public Affairs specifically to make sure our students are involved and engaged in this event from a learning perspective," Dr. Lane said.
On top of the historical significance of a presidential debate taking place on an HBCU campus, KHOU political analyst Bob Stein said the debate is the latest signal that the Democratic party believes that the state of Texas could be winnable for them in the next election.
"What Democrats want to do in Houston is build on what they started in 2018," Stein said. "I expect them to be back many times."
The third Democratic primary debate will be held at @TexasSouthern on September 12 and 13. Our #KHOU11 political analyst calls it a consolation prize for not getting the #DNC2020 convention. But it's also a growing sign #Texas could be in play in 2020 too. Here's why. #HtownRush
pic.twitter.com/rB5Rxq5xJh— Marcelino Benito (@MarcelinoKHOU) July 22, 2019
Democratic candidate and former Texas Representative Beto O'Rourke ran a campaign for Senate in 2018, narrowly falling short of taking Ted Cruz's seat. Despite the loss, many pundits took his rise in support as a sign that demographics had shifted enough to allow a Democratic candidate to gather statewide success in Texas.
No matter the reason, Dr. Lane said the opportunity for students to be exposed to the political process and show off their campus on the national stage will be a highlight this coming fall.
“As the heart and soul of Houston, Texas Southern University is proud to serve as the venue for such a prestigious event,” said Dr. Lane. “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."
The debates, which will be the third of the primary, will take place Sept. 12 and 13. The second round of debates will take place July 30 and 31 in Detroit.
