SALT LAKE CITY — The Democratic Party just had its first two primary debates, and we’ve still got a long way to go.
Twenty-two candidates met together in Miami on back-to-back nights for the Democratic debates. Candidates such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard competed on the first night. Other names like former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and California Sen. Kamala Harris faced off on the second night.
Now, all eyes will turn toward the next round of the Democratic debates. Here’s what we know so far about them.
Where: Detroit, Michigan
When: July 30 and July 31
Why it matters: “Like the debate this week, the upcoming one in the swing state of Michigan — where an unexpected win helped propel Donald Trump to the presidency in 2016 — will feature 20 candidates out of the two dozen Democrats currently campaigning for their party's nomination,” according to USA Today.
How to qualify: Candidates must meet specific requirements to qualify for this debate. They will need to meet one of the following:
- Have at least 1% support in three national polls
- Receive donations from 65,000 people
Candidates: Right now, we should expect the same candidates to compete in the July debate:
- Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
- Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke
- New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker
- Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro
- Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Tulsi Gabbard
- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee
- Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
- New York Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Former Maryland Rep. John Delaney
- Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
- South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- California Sen. Kamala Harris
- New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
- Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet
- Author Marianne Williamson
- California Rep. Eric Swalwell
- Businessman Andrew Yang
- Former Colorado Gov. John HickenlooperJohn Hickenlooper
Changes: Big changes will come to the field when there’s another round of debates in September. As I wrote for the Deseret News, the Democratic National Committee revealed plans to thin out the herd by the next round of debates this fall.
To qualify for those debates, candidates will need 2% in four national polls during the summer, contributions from at least 130,000 donors, or a donor list of 400 individuals from 20 states.
