The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts touts the first Democratic presidential primary debates for the 2020 elections June 25, 2019 in Miami, Florida.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images
A group of 10 Democrats, including some of the top contenders for the 2020 presidential nomination, will take the stage Thursday night to round out the first primary election debate.
Half of the debate participants squared off Wednesday night in Miami, calling for changes to boost the working class and showing competing visions for health care and immigration. Thursday’s debate stage will feature four of the top five candidates, according to the vast majority of early national and state primary polls: former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
The 10 candidates will face off from 9 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. The debates, hosted by NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo, will air live on those networks both nights. CNBC will also stream them.
Jose Diaz-Balart, Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt, Rachel Maddow and Chuck Todd will moderate the debate for a second night. Thursday’s event will feature the same rules as Wednesday’s: 60 seconds to answer questions and 30 seconds to respond to follow ups.
Several themes of Wednesday’s debate could play a role in Thursday’s contest, as well. During one of the first night’s most striking moments, just Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, said they supported Sanders’ vision of “Medicare for All” that would eliminate the private health insurance industry, one of the few areas where the contenders diverged. Among Thursday’s group, Biden has opposed a single-payer Medicare for All system, while Harris has insisted she does not want to end the private health care industry.
Meanwhile, Thursday’s contenders will likely join Wednesday’s participants in trying to make their case as the candidate best equipped to lift the working class.
Keep an eye on Biden, who has emerged as the early frontrunner in the race by leading in nearly every survey. He could have a target on his back, particularly after his comments about working with segregationist senators and suggestion that nothing would fundamentally change for wealthy donors if he became president.
Here’s who will take the stage during Thursday’s debate, listed in alphabetical order:
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
- South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.
- Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
- Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper
- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
- Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.
- Author Marianne Williamson
- Entrepreneur Andrew Yang
Here’s the group that already squared off on Wednesday:
- Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
- Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro
- New York Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Former Rep. John Delaney
- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hi.
- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
- Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke
- Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Read more of CNBC’s coverage previewing the first Democratic debate:
Joe Biden’s record on women’s issues could take center stage at the Democratic debate this week
Biden, Harris and Buttigieg rack up big money support as 2020 Democrats battle for donors
