Finally, the road to the presidential election of 2020 is starting to thin—from the many Democratic candidates we started out with to a more condensed and streamlined pool of applicants. The bar for entry on the fall primary debates is higher, and thus far only 10 candidates have qualified. So let's talk about who's in the race so far, whether other candidates might make the cut between now and then, and how the candidates are stacking up against each other in the polls.
How to Qualify
First of all, how does one qualify for the debate? Well, a candidate must get at least two percent in four polls approved by the DNC and have donations from 130,000 unique donors.
These next debates take place in Houston on September 12 and 13. It's less than a month away, so it's really crunch time for the candidates. Only 10 to 12 candidates are likely to make this third round, according to a New York Times polls analysis.
Who Has Qualified
There have only been ten candidates who have qualified for the fall debates:
- Joe Biden
- Pete Buttigieg
- Kamala Harris
- Cory Booker
- Amy Klobuchar
- Bernie Sanders
- Elizabeth Warren
- Beto O’Rourke
- Andrew Yang
- Julián Castro
Don't see your candidate on this list? There's still time for you to show support, either through donations or by voting for them in the polls. Candidates only have until August 28 to qualify, though, so time is of the essence.
Who's Leading in the Polls
According to a CNN poll for 8/20, the top five are as follows:
- Joe Biden: 29%
- Bernie Sanders: 15%
- Elizabeth Warren: 14%
- Pete Buttigieg: 5%
- Kamala Harris: 5% (tied for fourth)
- Beto O'Rourke: 3%
But that's not the only poll, and these numbers will continue to change rapidly—especially as candidates leave the race and voters find another candidate to potentially support.
We'll update the post as the race continues.
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