The Democratic presidential primary debate scheduled for Dec. 19 will no longer be held at the University of California Los Angeles campus, the Democratic National Committee confirmed to TheWrap Wednesday.
The news came less than two weeks after the initial announcement of the venue.
“In response to concerns raised by the local organized labor community in Los Angeles, we have asked our media partners to seek an alternative site for the December debate,” senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill said via statement. “We will be in touch with more information when it is available.”
Politico, which is slated to co-host the debate with PBS, noted that AFSCME Local 3299 — the largest employee union at University of California — has called for a boycott of speaking engagements amid a legal dispute.
A representative for the DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment about when a new venue will be announced.
In October, Politico released the criteria debate hopefuls will need to meet before the qualification deadline on Dec. 12. Candidates will need to hit 4% support in at least four DNC-approved polls of national primary voters or in early-voting states. They can also qualify by reaching 6% in two approved early-state polls with a minimum of 800 donors in 20 states, territories or Washington, D.C.
Only five candidates — former vice president Joe Biden, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris — have routinely polled above 4% in approved surveys so far.
The next Democratic debate, hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post, will be held Nov. 20 in Atlanta.