A Complete Guide to 2020 Democratic Primary Debates

As the first Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential election approaches, here's a primer with what you should know about what's been announced so far before it's time to settle in for the anticipated fireworks.

When and How to Watch the 2020 Democratic Presidential Debates

The Democratic National Committee has approved up to 12 debates with the first taking placing over two consecutive nights in June. Six debates are scheduled this year and six more set for 2020.

The first debate, sponsored by NBC News, MSNBC, and Telemundo, will take place on June 26 and 27 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, Florida. The field will be split into two with 10 candidates debating each night. The DNC has said the lineups for each debate will be chosen at random. 

Details on the moderators will be announced at a later date. No information has been revealed by the DNC on the question format. 

The debate will also stream online free on this website, NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, the NBC News mobile app and OTT apps, in addition to Telemundo’s digital platforms.

CNN will host the second debate in Detroit on July 30 and 31. 

Details on the venue, moderators and timing will be announced at a later date. 

How Candidates Qualify for the First Two Democratic Presidential Debates

In February, the DNC published specific debate guidelines spelling out which candidates have qualified to participate. 

Democratic candidates may qualify for the first and second debate by meeting one of the two following sets of criteria:

Criteria 1- Polling Method: Participants must register 1% or more support in three polls (which may be national polls, or polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and/or Nevada) publicly released between Jan. 1, 2019, and 14 days prior to the date of the debate. Qualifying polls will be limited to those sponsored by one or more of the following organizations/institutions: Associated Press, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Des Moines Register, Fox News, Las Vegas Review Journal, Monmouth University, NBC News, New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR), Quinnipiac University, Reuters, University of New Hampshire, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Winthrop University. Any candidate’s three qualifying polls must be conducted by different organizations, or if by the same organization, must be in different geographical areas.

Criteria 2 - Grassroots Fundraising Method: Candidates may qualify for the debate by demonstrating that the campaign has received donations from at least (1) 65,000 unique donors; and (2) a minimum of 200 unique donors per state in at least 20 U.S. states.  

If more than 20 candidates qualify, here is how a tiebreaker would work, according to NBC News. Candidates who meet both the polling and fundraising criteria would get preference. If that still doesn't winnow the field, then preference goes to candidates with the highest polling average.    

Which Candidates are Participating in the First Two 2020 Presidential Debates

Candidates have until June 13 to qualify for the first debate. Although an official listing of the participants hasn't been revealed by the DNC, the expected 20 candidates according to Fivethirtyeight.com include: Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Steve Bullock, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Bill de Blasio, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, John Hickenlooper, Jay Inslee, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Tim Ryan, Bernie Sanders, Eric Swalwell, Elizabeth Warren, Marianne Williamson and Andrew Yang.

But Politico reported on June 4 that Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet had also met the polling criteria and said it did not consider de Blasio as having qualified yet. 

Here is more information about all the candidates. 

How Candidates Will be Selected for Future 2020 Presidential Debates

For the third debate, the DNC is essentially doubling the polling and fundraising thresholds set for the first two debates — and requiring candidates to meet both standards, instead of just one or the other, NBC News reported. 

Candidates will need to register at least 2 percent in four major polls conducted this summer and receive donations from at least 130,000 individual donors, including at least 400 in 20 states.

Who Will Moderate the 2020 Presidential Debates

While specific hosts and moderators have not yet been revealed, the DNC recently announced it would have at least one female and non-white moderator at each Democratic presidential debate.

"The DNC is committed to an inclusive and fair debate process," DNC senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill told Refinery29, which first reported the debates will have at least one female moderator. "That means that all 12 DNC sanctioned debates will feature a diverse group of moderators and panelists including women and people of color, ensuring that the conversations reflect the concerns of all Americans."

HuffPost later reported that the debates will also include at least one person of color as a moderator, who could also be the same person as the female moderator. 

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