Qualifiers for second Democratic presidential debate announced

Jake Webster

The qualifiers for the second Democratic presidential debates were announced Wednesday.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) set out its rules for candidates to qualify for one of 20 podiums on the two debate nights back in February.

In order to qualify, candidates must receive at least 1% support in three national polls approved by the DNC, or 65,000 unique donations from 200 unique donors in at least 20 states.

Presidential candidate and former Sen. Mike Gravel reached the donation criteria, but DNC tie-breaking rules favor candidates who satisfied the polling criteria over donations.

The debates will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time, July 30 and 31 on CNN from Detroit.

The candidates who qualified are:

  • Sen. Michael Bennet of Colo.

  • Former Vice President Joe Biden of Del.

  • Sen. Cory Booker of N.J.

  • Gov. Steve Bullock of Mont.

  • South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg of Ind.

  • Former Housing and Urban Development Sec. Julián Castro of Texas

  • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio of N.y.

  • Former Rep. John Delaney of Md.

  • Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii

  • Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of N.Y.

  • Sen. Kamala Harris of Calif.

  • Former. Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colo.

  • Gov. Jay Inslee of Wash.

  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minn.

  • Former. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas

  • Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vt.

  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Mass.

  • Author Marianne Williamson of Calif.

  • Businessman Andrew Yang of N.Y.

Bullock joins 19 of the 20 candidates who were on stage for the debates last month, as former presidential candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell exited stage left in the interim.

There will be no debate held in August, though the debate set to be held in September will have a higher qualification criteria.

Candidates must poll at least 2% in four DNC approved national polls, or polls of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina and receive donations from a minimum of 130,000 unique donors, with at least 400 unique donors in at least 20 states.

So far, only Biden, Buttigieg, Harris, Sanders, Warren and O’Rourke have fulfilled those qualification criteria.