And then there were ten.
After two debates that spanned two nights and included 20 candidates, the third Democratic debate will cut those numbers in half. Democrats vying for the White House in 2020 are entering a new phase of the election cycle. The third face-off, with more extreme qualifying rules, will likely be an indication of the candidates with staying power in the relentless marathon primary.
How does a candidate qualify for the third debate?
- They need to reach 2% or more in at least four national polls between June 28 and Aug. 28.
- They’re required to get donations from at least 130,000 unique donors over the course of the election cycle, with a minimum of 400 donors in at least 20 states.
- All qualifying donations and polls must be received by 11:59 pm on Aug. 28 to qualify for the September debate.
Who qualified for this debate?
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey
- South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro
- Sen. Kamala Harris of California
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
- Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas
- Sen. Bernie Saunders of Vermont
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
- Andrew Yang, entrepreneur
What are the voters looking for at the third debate?
Mainly, electability—who can win against President Donald Trump in the election.
Political Science Professor at Calvin University Doug Koopman spoke to 13 ON YOUR SIDE about which candidate appeals most to West Michigan voters. He says that in many ways Sen. Elizabeth Warren has Hillary Clinton strength but doesn't have a lot of her weaknesses. Koopman also said that she appeals to "women on the fence" voters in West Michigan.
"Right now she's taking more from Bernie Saunders than anyone else," says Prof. Doug Koopman. "Remember that in Michigan presidential primary in 2016 Bernie Saunders did very well. And he did well outside of Detroit constituencies because he had a really working class message. So I do think that she {Sen. Warren} would be appealing to the state of Michigan partly because the folks focused on economic opportunity, those are the same voters that she's trying to appeal to."
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