Here’s where Democrats will stand onstage at the next debate
Joe Biden is set to feel the squeeze by his progressive competitors.
The former vice president will be at the center of the stage during next month’s Democratic presidential debate in Houston, flanked by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for the first time.
ABC News on Thursday revealed the order for the 10 candidates who met the polling and fundraising requirements set by the Democratic National Committee. The lineup was determined by polling averages based on the last 10 polls certified by the DNC.
The debate will be the first one in which all qualifying candidates will not only appear onstage together, but where Biden will also have to fend off attacks from his two closest competitors.
Sanders and Warren will have the opportunity to challenge Biden’s moderate policy positions as the Democratic Party veers more left than it has in past elections. But they will also have to challenge each other as they battle for the progressive vote.
According to a new Qunnipiac poll, Warren has jumped ahead of Sanders for second place, pulling in 19 percentage points to his 15. Biden sits at 32 percent support.
From left to right, the candidates will be Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., Sanders, Biden, Warren, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, businessman Andrew Yang, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro.
The debate — which will be moderated by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, David Muir and Linsey Davis and Univision’s Jorge Ramos — will broadcast on ABC and Univision affiliates across the country on Sept. 12.
Candidates will have one minute and 15 seconds to respond to questions posed to them and 45 seconds for rebuttals. They will also each receive time to issue an opening statement.
To qualify for the third debate, candidates had to receive at least 2 percent in at least four DNC-approved polls released between June 28 and Aug. 28 and reach 130,000 donors. Nearly half the candidates in the 2020 Democratic field failed to reach both of the new stringent thresholds.
Billionaire Tom Steyer, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and author Marianne Williamson met only the donor requirements. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland, Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio and former Rep. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania didn’t meet either requirement.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, former Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington have dropped out of the race.
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine