Sanders plans to participate in April DNC debate

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) plans to participate in a Democratic National Committee (DNC) debate in April should one be scheduled, his campaign said Tuesday.

Plans to attend the debate come even as former Vice President Joe Biden has built a nearly insurmountable lead in the race for the Democratic nomination, leading to some calls for Sanders to drop out.

The DNC has yet to provide details about when its next debate will be held amid a coronavirus pandemic that has thrown the Democratic race off schedule, with several states postponing their primaries.

“If there is a debate in April, he plans to be there,” said Mike Casca, a Sanders campaign official, in an email.

The New York Times first reported the news Tuesday.

The DNC said it has no details about whether a debate will take place in April.

“We have no updates at this time. We’re are taking things day by day, as is the rest of the country,” said Xochitl Hinojosa, a spokeswoman for the DNC.

Sanders and Biden participated earlier this month in their first one-on-one debate, which was relocated to Washington, D.C., from Phoenix and was held without an audience amid worries about the coronavirus. 

Biden currently has 1,214 delegates, while Sanders follows with 910. A small number of delegates from the last few elections have not yet been distributed. A candidate needs 1,991 delegates to capture the nomination.