The next Democratic debate is getting dangerously close to being 2 nights again
A ninth Democrat has qualified for the third round of presidential debates, bringing us closer to another two-night affair.
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang on Thursday became the latest Democratic candidate for president to qualify for the September debate following the release of a Monmouth University Iowa poll in which he has two percent support, The New York Times reports. Yang previously had the 130,000 individual donors needed for the September debate's qualification threshold, which is stricter than that of the previous two debates, and he has now met the requirement of two percent support in four polls as well.
This means the September debate will include at least the following nine candidates: former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former congressman Beto O'Rourke, and Yang. As the Times points out, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro is close to qualifying; he has enough donors and now needs to reach two percent support in one more qualifying poll. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) also has surpassed the 130,000 individual donor requirement, The Washington Examiner reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While the first two rounds of debates took place over two nights because there were so many candidates, it was thought raising the qualifying threshold for the September debate might cut the field down enough for only one night to be required. The New York Times previously reported that this September debate would take place on a single night should 10 candidates or fewer qualify. Were Castro and Gabbard to both squeeze in, there would be 11 candidates.
The Democratic National Committee also recently gave candidates even longer to qualify for the October debate, leaving open the possibility that the debate field will actually grow larger after September. The deadline to qualify for the September debate is Aug. 28.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
What a rising gold price says about the global economyThe Explainer Institutions, central banks and speculators drive record surge amid ‘loss of trust’ in bond markets and US dollar
-
‘Laughing stock’: Anthony Joshua’s £140m bout with Jake PaulTalking Point Boxing fans have expressed concerns the YouTuber may not survive the fight with British heavyweight
-
A dreamy skiing adventure in NisekoThe Week Recommends Light, deep, dry snow and soothing hot springs are drawing skiers to Japan’s northernmost island
-
Ecuador rejects push to allow US military basesSpeed Read Voters rejected a repeal of a constitutional ban on US and other foreign military bases in the country
-
Trump pivots on Epstein vote amid GOP defectionsSpeed Read The president said House Republicans should vote on a forced release of the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein files
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
