University of Houston to host Republican presidential debate on Feb. 25

HOUSTON – Wolf Blitzer will moderate the Republican presidential debate on February 25, CNN announced Wednesday.

The debate, hosted by CNN, Telemundo and the Salem Media Group, will take place at the University of Houston two days after Nevada's Republican caucuses.

“The University of Houston is honored to serve as the host-site of this important national conversation,” said University of Houston System Vice Chancellor/University of Houston Vice President of Marketing, Communication and Media Relations Richie C. Hunter. “The chance to participate in history isn’t an opportunity taken lightly, and every day, our Cougar community proves time and time again that it’s deserving of a national spotlight.”

Telemundo will carry the debate live in Spanish, and is the only Spanish-language TV network the Republican National Committee has sanctioned to host a debate in the 2016 contest.

Telemundo's Maria Celeste Arraras, Salem's conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt and CNN's Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash will also ask the candidates questions at the debate.

This is slated to be the last Republican debate before Super Tuesday, a packed day on the primary calendar where 12 states will be up for grabs. The focus will likely fall on Texas and the many other southern states that have worked to re-brand the day as the "SEC Primary."

“There is no venue more striking on campus, and perhaps in all of Houston, than our Moores Opera House," said Director of the Moores School of Music Andrew Davis. “From its acoustical perfection, to its balance of visual grandeur with intimacy of scale, I cannot imagine a better location to host this national event.”