The Democrats name 2020 Presidential candidates for first debate

The Democratic National Committee have announced on Thursday the list of 20 presidential candidates who qualified to participate in the debate. There will be a sitting U.S. governor and congressman among four candidates that will not be part of the stage when the Democratic Party holds its pivotal first debate in Miami later this month.

The candidates omitted from the debate are Montana Governor Steve Bullock, U.S. Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel, and Wayne Messam, the mayor of Miramar, Florida. The debate will be held over two nights on June 26 and June 27. It will give the candidates a chance to have a first close-up with Americans.

The debate will also give a chance to the candidates to boost their poll-numbers as well. All the candidates will not be up to debate in one night. They will be randomly divided between two nights. They will be divided in such a way which ensures top-polling candidates will be spread evenly between both debates.

The draw is expected to take place on Friday in New York. The parameter for the qualification as a candidate was to receive at least 1% in three polls, or by receiving donations from 65,000 supporters, including at least 200 donors apiece in 20 states. The Democratic Party have established new rules to limit participation and make the debate less unwieldy. Discarded candidate Bullock had been the most vocal of this system.

The participants selected are:

• Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado
• Former Vice President Joe Biden
• Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey
• South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
• Former Housing Secretary Julián Castro
• New York Mayor Bill de Blasio
• Former Representative John Delaney of Maryland
• Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii
• Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
• Senator Kamala Harris of California
• Former Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado
• Governor Jay Inslee of Washington
• Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
• Former Representative Beto O’Rourke of Texas
• Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio
• Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont
• Representative Eric Swalwell of California
• Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
• Author Marianne Williamson
• Entrepreneur Andrew Yang