MANCHESTER — DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement on tonight’s Democratic debate in New Hampshire:

“I’m extremely proud of the job all of our candidates did tonight. Tonight we saw that presidential candidates can respect one another and respect the American people with the truth about what it takes to keep the American people safe. Our candidates laid out clear and detailed plans for dealing with our nation’s epidemic of gun violence at home and for combating ISIL and other terrorist threats abroad. Our candidates also had a spirited debate on how to improve the economic security of the American people, and how to build on President Obama’s legacy of creating jobs and moving the economy forward. Finally, I’m proud that both Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton were able to quickly deal with the campaign data controversy and move on to the issues that matter to the voters.

“Our substantive and thoughtful debates stand in sharp contrast to the dangerous and offensive rhetoric that Republican candidates have embraced, which is making America less safe. No one on our debate stage attacked the appearance of another candidate or insulted any group of Americans. No one on our stage called for banning people from entering the country based on their religion. And on the economic front, no one on our stage endorsed failed trickle-down economic plans that would take us back to the policies that were in place preceding the Great Recession, which cost our country 8 million jobs while countless Americans lost their homes and savings. That's what's at stake in this election.

“Tonight’s debate makes me proud to be a Democrat, and makes me confident that we will keep the White House in Democratic hands in 2016. Our next president was on stage tonight at St. Anselm.”