Democratic candidate Joe Biden waves to supporters at a rally in Philadelphia on May 18. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI |
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June 14 (UPI) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden and 2016 Democratic nominee runner-up Bernie Sanders will go head-on-head in a loaded second night of first-round debates in Miami later this month, the party said Friday after holding a draw for participation.
The draw came hours after the Democratic National Committee announced the final 20-candidate field for the debates June 26 and 27, and determined who would debate on which days.
Four of the top five candidates for the party nomination in 2020, judged by RealClearPolitics, will compete on the second night of the debates, including front-runner Biden and Sanders, who's steadily polled second. South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, ranked fourth in recent polls, and fifth-place California Sen. Kamala Harris will also debate on the second night.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, considered the No. 3 candidate, is the top name on the first night, with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke. Other candidates debating the first night are former Housing Secretary Julian Castro, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan.
Filling out the second night lineup are Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, California Rep. Eric Swalwell, author Marianne Williamson and entrepreneur Andrew Yang. Both nights will be televised by NBC News and Telemundo.
The candidates qualified for the first debates by either drawing at least 1 percent support in three qualifying polls, or raising funds from at least 65,000 unique donors in at least 20 states. The criteria will be more stringent beginning with the second debate.
Those who did not make the field were Montana Gov. Steve Bullock; former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel; Miramar, Fla., Mayor Wayne Messam and Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton.