Ten candidates will meet on stage at the third Democratic primary debate in Houston, Texas, on Thursday evening. For the first time since the debates began in August, Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren will be standing on the same stage.
In fact , Thursday’s match-up marks the first time all of the qualifying candidates will be facing off on a single stage, since only 10 candidates met the Democratic National Committee’s tougher requirements for the third and fourth debates. Several candidates who did not make the debate stage have argued that the polling and donor thresholds for the debate were too stringent.
- Watch CBSNfor live coverage following the debate
- Candidates, start time and how to watch tonight’s Democratic debate
Follow live updates of the Democratic debate as it happens:
Trump campaign flies anti-Socialism banner ahead of debate
The Trump campaign is flying a 4, 800 square-foot aerial banner above the Democratic debate site in Houston on Thursday. The campaign is also running full-page ads in the area’s top newspapers – both read “Socialism will kill Houston’s economy. Vote Trump 2020 “
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted a video of the banner being flown by a prop plane in the Texas sky, telling supporters “Hey Houston, look up!” He added the hashtag “Socialism Sucks.”
The president and his campaign have tried to frame all of the Democratic candidates asrepresentative of some brand of socialism, an argument they hope will help them secure victory in next year presidential election.
Kamala Harris bringing DACA recipients as guests to debate
California DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients will be accompanying Kamala Harris to Thursday night’s debate in a move that the Harris campaign says is “critical” to acknowledge as the Trump administration continues to strip away protections for immigrants in the US
“As a child of immigrants and a fierce advocate for our country Dreamers, I will not stop fighting until our immigrant communities get the protection and respect they deserve, “Harris said in a statement before the debate.
Senator Harris will be joined by Jung Woo Kim and Eric Yang, two young DACA recipients from Southern California.
“When DACA was under threat in 2017, I remember seeing Senator Harris speak in support of undocumented young people at a UCI rally for the DREAM Act. By giving us a national platform to speak on issues that are important t o our people, it’s clear that Senator Harris is still a champion for our community, “Kim said in a statement.
“I want everyone watching the debate to know about the danger that DACA is in and hear the stories of people like me who will be impacted if the Supreme Court takes it away. I ask that everyone who shows up to the debate also show up for immigrant youth, “echoed Yang.
Which candidates will appear at the debate?
Candidates will appear onstage from left to right.
- Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar
- New Jersey Senator Cory Booker
- Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren
- California Senator Kamala Harris
- Andrew Yang
- Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke
- Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Who didn’t qualify for the debate?
Here’s a look at who didn’t make the cut to appear on stage Thursday night
- Colorado Senator Michael Bennet
- Montana Governor Steve Bullock
- Former Maryland Congressman John Delaney
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard
- Tom Steyer
- Marianne Williamson
Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan
How did the candidates qualify for the debate?
Candidates had to reach at least 2% support in at least four polls, which could be national polls or polls in the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada. Candidates also had to receive donations from at least 130, 000 unique donors, with 400 donors per state in at least (states.)
The Democratic National Committee willhold its fourth primary debateon October 15 and 16 in Ohio. Since more that 10 candidates have qualified for the October debate, the debate will take place over two nights.
Campaigns will have until 11: 59 pm ET on October 1 to meet donor and polling thresholds to qualify. The thresholds to qualify are the same as those for tonight’s debate, meaning that a candidate who did not meet the requirements for the September debate could still reach the polling and donor thresholds and make it onto the debate stage in October.
What to look for
Biden, who is the front-runner in most polls, has been targeted by other candidates for his record on issues of race and criminal justice. Kamala Harris challenged him in the first debate for his opposition to federally-mandated busing in the 1970 s, and by Cory Booker in the second for his vote on a crime bill in the 1990 s which disproportionately affected black Americans.
Thursday could shape up to be a test of whether the former vice president can fend off attacks on a political career that spans 40 years. Off stage and years ago Warren famously sparred with Biden before she was elected senator for supporting a bill making it more difficult for individuals to declare bankruptcy.
But candidates may also go after Warren, who has been rising in the polls, and Bernie Sanders for their support for single payer health care. In earlier debates, Warren and Sanders were targets for moderate candidates who argued that their positions were too extreme. However, several of those candidates did not meet the DNC’s threshold to appear on stage Thursday.
How to watch the third 2020 Democratic debate
- (Date:Thursday, September 12
- Time: (8 to) PM ET
- Location:Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas
- TV Channel:(ABC) and Univision
- Free online stream:ABCNews.com,Good Morning Americaand FiveThirtyEight websites and mobile apps
- Analysis:Watch CBSNfor live coverage of the debates before, during and after
- Follow live:CBS News debate live blog for real-time updates
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