Miami Dade College To Host Democratic Presidential Debate

WLRN Public Media | By Chabeli Herrera

Published November 2, 2015 at 3:25 PM EST

From left, Democratic presidential candidates former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Hillary Clinton, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee at the Oct. 13 Democratic debate.

A presidential debate is coming to South Florida.

Positioned just six days before Florida's presidential primary early next year, the Democratic debate will take place at Miami Dade College's Kendall campus, according to an email from Miami Dade College.

Set for 9 p.m. on March 9, the debate will be geared toward Hispanic voters, capitalizing on its location in predominantly-Hispanic Miami Dade College and in the large suburb of Kendall, where 63 percent of residents are Hispanic, according to the latest census data.

The Democratic National Committee and debate organizers Univision and the Washington Post will host the debate in the Building 7 Gymnasium at the Kendall Campus. The debate will be the last of six Democratic candidate debates.

Jeb Bush announces he's running for president at Miami Dade College in June.

Miami Dade College's 185-acre Kendall Campus, the largest of MDC's eight campuses, has hosted presidential hopefuls in the past. Jeb Bushannounced his bid for the presidency there earlier this year. Marco Rubio announced his presidencyat the Miami Dade CollegeWolfsoncampus.

MDC and Univision co-hosted candidate forums with former Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich during the last presidential election.

"We feel very honored and privileged at Miami Dade College to have the opportunity for our students to see history in the making," MDC President Eduardo Padron told WLRN in June.

The Republican Party also scheduled a debate geared toward Hispanic voters for Feb. 26, to be moderated by Telemundo and NBC. But, that debate was suspended after the party parted ways with NBC, saying the network behaved in "bad faith" during last week's CNBC GOP debate.