The top Democratic presidential primary candidates are in Houston this week for the third Democratic debate. Thursday’s matchup could show more confrontation between leading contenders, as only 10 candidates qualified this time around. This will be the first time that the top two polling candidates, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren, face off against each other on the debate stage.
How to watch the third 2020 Democratic debate
- Date: Thursday, September 12
- Time: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET
- Location: Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas
- TV Channel: ABC and Univision
- Free online stream: ABCNews.com, Good Morning America and FiveThirtyEight websites and mobile phone apps, or on fuboTV – start a free trial
- Analysis: Watch CBSN for live coverage of the debates before, during and after
- Follow live: CBS News debate live blog for real-time updates
How do the Democratic candidates qualify for the debate?
Candidates must receive 2% or more support in at least four polls, which may be national polls or polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Candidates also must receive donations from at least 130,000 unique donors, with at least 400 donors per state in at least 20 states.
Third Democratic debate rules
According to ABC News, candidates will have one minute and 15 seconds for direct responses to questions and 45 seconds for responses and rebuttals. Candidates will have the opportunity to deliver opening statements, but there will be no closing statements.
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DNC debate candidates for September 12
Candidates will appear onstage from left to right:
- Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar
- New Jersey Senator Cory Booker
- South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren
- California Senator Kamala Harris
- Businessman Andrew Yang
- Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke
- Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro
Candidates who did not qualify for the debate
- Colorado Senator Michael Bennet
- Montana Governor Steve Bullock
- Former Maryland Congressman John Delaney
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard
- Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan
- Philanthropist and activist Tom Steyer
- Author Marianne Williamson
Fourth Democratic debate scheduled for October
The Democratic National Committee will hold its fourth primary debate on October 15 in Ohio. If more than 10 candidates qualify for the debate, there will be a second night on October 16.
Campaigns will have until 11:59 p.m. ET on October 1 to meet donor and polling thresholds to qualify. The thresholds to qualify are the same as the thresholds for the September 12 debate, meaning that a candidate who did not qualify for the September debate could reach the polling and donor thresholds to qualify for the October debate.
