AUSTIN, Texas — Texas State University will no longer host a presidential debate this year.
On Monday, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that debate, plus two other presidential debates and a vice presidential debate, will no longer take place.
Co-chairs of the commission say the Biden-Harris campaign will not agree to debate under the sponsorship of the commission this year. The debate at Texas State was scheduled for Sept. 16 on the San Marcos campus.
Texas State said once the presumptive presidential candidates announced an alternative plan for debates several weeks ago, the university immediately paused planning and expenditures related to work on the debate “to be good stewards of public funds and resources.”
On Monday, Texas State released a statement that called this news disappointing.
“As the only Texas university to have graduated a U.S. president, we were excited to host the first-ever presidential debate in our great state,” Texas State President Kelly Damphousse said. “We are also proud to be the only Hispanic Serving Institution chosen to host a presidential debate. In the words of our alumnus President Lyndon B. Johnson, ‘Let no one ever think for a moment that national debate means national division.’ We remain steadfast in supporting our students and the entire university community as they continue to learn about democracy, to engage in civil discourse and to participate in the electoral process throughout the upcoming election cycle.”
The news comes ahead of Thursday's debate that will be hosted by CNN. The debate will be simulcasted on KVUE at 8 p.m.
Each candidate will speak at a podium, and their microphone will be muted when it’s not their turn to speak.
A second presidential debate has been set for Sept. 10, hosted by ABC.