"There are private conversations happening, so there will likely be an announcement in the next few days about a new debate," a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton's campaign said Wednesday. | Getty Sanders and Clinton camps in talks for New York debate

The Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton campaigns are in talks to schedule another Democratic debate before the New York primary.

"There are private conversations happening, so there will likely be an announcement in the next few days about a new debate," a Clinton campaign senior adviser said Wednesday. Chief Sanders strategist Tad Devine confirmed that discussions are taking place between the rival camps.


The prospect of an additional debate comes after a full-throated push by the Sanders campaign to hold a debate ahead of the high-stakes April 19 primary. In a letter dated March 27, Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver wrote to Clinton counterpart Robby Mook calling for the addition of a debate in New York before Democratic voters go to the polls there.

"Our campaign continues to believe that the people of New York, the largest April primary, deserve to have the debate held in their state, and that it should be held prior to the New York primary," Weaver wrote.

On Tuesday, Sanders' team sent out a fundraising email urging supporters to add their name to the letter, and operatives for the campaign griped about the Clinton campaign's refusal to agree to another debate online.

The day before, Clinton's campaign said it would agree to a debate ahead of the New York primary only if Sanders toned down his negative attacks on the former secretary of state.

"They are polling and testing clearly negative attacks in different parts of the state in her home state against Hillary Clinton," Clinton chief strategist Joel Benenson said on a Monday conference call with reporters. "We think that this party is strong when we have a good, strong, healthy debate, but the tone of the campaign has become increasingly negative and personal in some places. They spent a lot of money on radio and TV in some states calling out Secretary Clinton, so I just think we'll cross that when we get to it. We've got campaigns that we have now before we hit New York in full stride, and then any other discussions can take place later."

Clinton campaign officials had also argued that the Sanders campaign, which recently opened a Brooklyn office, was attempting to stir up a controversy to fuel its efforts against Clinton in New York.

"To be honest, Wolf, this is a bit of faux controversy," Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said during an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday. "There is a process for adding to the debate schedule. The campaigns get together privately, have discussions in coordination with the [Democratic National Committee]."

On Tuesday evening, though, the Sanders campaign took something of a victory lap when Clinton said during a campaign stop in La Crosse, Wisconsin, that she was open to another debate. In a CNN interview, Sanders framed her comment as a final agreement about another debate.

"Let's do it," Sanders said. The Vermont senator's campaign followed up with another email to supporters highlighting his comments.

"The Sanders campaign hailed the development as a victory for Democratic voters everywhere and for New York voters in particular," the Sanders campaign email said.