U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION COVERAGE

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, pictured here at the CNN Democratic Debate at The Wynn Hotel Las Vegas, has been selected to host the March 6 Democratic presidential primary debate at the Whiting Auditorium in Flint, Mich.

(Adam Rose | Courtesy)

FLINT, MI -- The Whiting Auditorium has been selected to be the site of the Democratic presidential primary debate set for March 6 in Flint.

The debate, hosted by CNN in partnership with MLive and The Flint Journal, will be moderated by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash and anchor Don Lemon will join as questioners.

The debate, featuring Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, comes just two days before the state's primary vote.

The spin room, or place where media members can speak with debate participants and their representatives, and the press filing center will be located at the University of Michigan-Flint Recreation Center.

It will be the seventh primary debate sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee.

"Our Democratic candidates have run spirited campaigns focused on how to best move our country forward, and our upcoming debate in Flint, Mich., is a critical setting to highlight what's at stake in these elections," said DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. "This debate is an opportunity to elevate the very serious issues facing the residents of Flint, and it's also an opportunity to remind voters what Democratic leadership can do for the economy -- so that everyone in America has a fair shot.

"Viewers across the country deserve a thoughtful and serious debate, and that's what they'll get from our candidates, because they have the right priorities and understand the struggles, hopes, and aspirations of the American people."

The debate is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. and will air on CNN, CNN en Espanol and CNN International.

Ticketing information has not yet been announced for the debate.

"We are proud to work with CNN on this important discussion with the Democratic hopefuls for president," said Bryn Mickle, news leader for The Flint Journal. "Flint has been an important part of America's history and we look forward to hearing the candidate's vision for the future of Flint and other struggling cities."

The DNC announced the Flint debate, and three others, Wednesday, Feb. 3. It came on the heels of state and federal officials' testimony to a U.S. House Committee on the city's water crisis.

Flint is in the national spotlight after elevated blood lead levels were discovered in some Flint children after the city changed its water source from Lake Huron water purchased from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in April 2014, a decision made while the city was being run by a state-appointed emergency manager.

State regulators never required that the river water be treated to make it less corrosive, causing lead from plumbing and pipes to leach into the water supply.

Even though the city reconnected to the Detroit water system in October, local and state officials have warned pregnant women and young children against using the water unless it has been tested because lead levels continue to exceed what can be handled by a filter.

Clinton visited the city Feb. 7 to discuss the city's ongoing water crisis and promised to stand with the city in its ongoing efforts to obtain clean, safe water. She has also discussed the water issue during previous debates and penned an op-ed for MSNBC.

Sanders has gone as far as to call for Gov. Rick Snyder to resign over the city's water crisis.

Clinton currently has a 53 percent to 40 percent lead among likely Democratic primary voters in Michigan, according to a poll released Feb. 20 by American Research Group. The poll showed Clinton garnering large support from multiple demographics, including women, blacks and older voters.

A Feb. 18 Fox 2-Mitchell Research & Communications poll showed Clinton with a 33-point lead in Michigan.