ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (CNN) -- Hoping to stem efforts by President Bush to make inroads with Latino voters, the 2004 Democratic presidential candidates will square off Thursday night in a debate that will be simulcast in Spanish across the country.

The 90-minute event at the University of New Mexico is the first of six major debates sponsored by the Democratic National Committee. It will be hosted by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who is Latino.