Just 8 Candidates Currently Qualify For The Next Democratic Debate
The Democratic party had a jaw dropping 24 candidates toss their hats into the ring to be the Democratic nominee for the 2020 presidential election. However, The New York Times is reporting that the large pool of candidates is about to whittle down dramatically. As of now, only eight candidates currently qualify for the third debate.
To qualify for the third debate, the Democratic National Committee decreed that each candidate needs to show 130,000 unique donors, including at least 400 individual donors located across 20 states. Candidates must also show at least four polls where the candidate has earned at least 2 percent support. This comes to about double what was required for the first two rounds of debates, which needed only 65,000 unique donors and polling of 1 percent. The deadline for meeting these qualifications is August 28.
The current candidates who currently qualify include former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, California Senator Kamala Harris, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, and former Representative Beto O’Rourke.
Candidates Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur, and former housing secretary Julián Castro are almost in the mix. Both currently have surpassed the necessary 130,000 donors, but only have three of the four polls required.
Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard is somewhat close to making the stage as well. Her team announced that the politician from the Aloha state just passed the donor requirement. However, she still only has one poll out of the required four. However, her team is hoping that her standout performance on Wednesday’s debate, in which she was credited for landing a hearty political punch at Senator Kamala Harris, will be enough to win her the polling support she needs.
Multiple candidates are struggling to get to the donor threshold, despite having fairly large name recognition. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is one such candidate; back in January, popular political website Five Thirty Eight even discussed how she could become the Democratic nominee.
Another fading star is Washington Governor Jay Inslee; that said, his campaign announced on Thursday that he was close to 100,000 donors. Other candidates who are struggling include Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, Montana Governor Steve Bullock, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Former Maryland Representative John Delaney, Ohio Representative Tim Ryan, and internet favorite, Marianne Williamson.
The debates are currently scheduled for September 12 and 13 and will be held in Houston, Texas. If 10 or fewer candidates have qualified by the deadline, the debate will only be one night.
