Bernie Sanders won a trio of Western states last weekend, adding a bit of intrigue to a Democratic race that many thought was over. Now, the Vermont Senator wants to take on Hillary Clinton on her home turf, challenging the former Secretary of State to a debate in New York sometime before the state’s primary on April 19.
The Democrats have held eight debates so far, reports the New York Times. Clinton and Sanders have both pledged to have two more debates, though Sanders said on “Meet the Press” this weekend that he is worried Clinton will decide not to debate him again.
His fears might be founded. Clinton’s chief strategist Joel Benenson said that any future debates would depend on the “tone” of the Sanders campaign, reports Politico — essentially, is he going to continue criticizing Clinton even as the rest of the party turns its eye towards the general election?
Clinton still has a fairly commanding delegate lead, and as of now she has most of the party’s “super delegates” on her side. Sanders has mounted a surprisingly strong challenge, though, and has made it clear he plans on staying in the race until the convention in July.
A debate in New York wouldn’t exactly be foreign territory for Sanders, either. Though Clinton was the State’s senator, Sanders was himself raised in Brooklyn.