Biden, with a target on his back, is expected to have to fend off attacks from all sides with Harris, Booker, Buttigieg and Yang all armed with fresh ammunition. Klobuchar is another middle-of-the-road candidate who might take aim at a progressive agenda that touts Medicare for All and free public college tuition.
Castro and O’Rourke, both appearing in their home state, are also on the same stage again, potentially teeing up another wrangle between the two Texans.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Democratic presidential hopeful former Rep. Beto O’Rourke delivers his closing statement during the first round of the second Democratic primary debate in Detroit, July 30, 2019.
Earlier this year, prior to the first Democratic debates, the DNC announced more stringent qualifying rules for the fall debates in September and October. Details for the October debate have not yet been announced.
In order to qualify for the September debate, candidates needed to cross both the polling and grassroots funding thresholds. Candidates must have received 2% or more support in at least four national polls or polls conducted in the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and/or Nevada and have been publicly released between June 28 and August 28.
(MORE: September debate stage nearly set as Democratic field awaits Wednesday deadline)
Any candidates’ four qualifying polls must have been sponsored by one or more of the following organizations approved by the DNC: The Associated Press, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, the Des Moines Register, Fox News, Monmouth University, NBC News, The New York Times, National Public Radio, Quinnipiac University, University of New Hampshire, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Washington Post and Winthrop University. They also needed to be conducted by different organizations or — if by the same organization — had to be in different geographical areas.
Candidates also needed to receive donations from at least 130,000 unique donors over the course of the election cycle, with a minimum of 400 unique donors per state in at least 20 states. Qualifying donations must have been received by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 28 for the September debate.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
