CNN announced early Sunday that it will host a debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders next month in Flint, Mich., which has been hit hard by contaminated drinking water.

The March 6 event will come two days before the Michigan and Mississippi primaries.

"Our Democratic candidates have run spirited campaigns focused on how to best move our country forward, and our upcoming debate in Flint, Michigan is a critical setting to highlight what's at stake in these elections," Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement distributed by CNN.

"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," the Florida representative added.