Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images
ANKENY, Iowa — BuzzFeed News has learned NBC News and The New Hampshire Union-Leader will announce on Tuesday their plans to host an unsanctioned Democratic debate in New Hampshire on Feb. 4, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
Democratic candidates are being told the moderators will be NBC News' Chuck Todd and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, according to the two sources.
The NBC-Union Leader debate will take place five days before New Hampshire primary voting on Feb. 9. It's unclear how the DNC will react to the new debate, or which candidates will participate in it.
The Democratic National Committee scheduled six debates between the Democratic candidates. That number was enforced by a rule barring any candidate who participated in a so-called "unsanctioned" debate outside those six from participating in any of the DNC forums. The next DNC debate will take place Feb. 11, after the New Hampshire primary.
DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz has repeatedly defended the party calendar in interviews.
But there has been growing frustration among campaign officials, voters and the press about the Democratic calendar, which put many of the debates outside traditional primetime. On Jan. 16, the New York Times cited anonymous Hilary Clinton aides lamenting not asking for more debates. Her supporters feel she has done well against Sanders head-to-head. Sanders and O'Malley aides have said they want more debates for months.
NBC News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Union-Leader did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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