Booker and Castro accuse DNC of excluding minorities [View all]

[brooklynite]

Politico

Cory Booker and Julián Castro are taking aim at the Democratic National Committee over a primary process they say is excluding them from this month’s debate but allowing a billionaire to buy his way on to the stage.

California Sen. Kamala Harris’ abrupt departure from the 2020 race Tuesday has exposed the lack of diversity among the remaining group of top candidates. Despite falling from the top tier, Harris was the leading candidate of color and the only minority candidate to qualify for December’s debate in Los Angeles.

With her exit, prompted by a lack of financial resources to sustain a viable campaign, the current lineup of qualified debate participants are all white: Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, however, are on the cusp of making the cut.

The Booker and Castro campaigns say Harris’ announcement triggered an outpouring of financial support for them. Booker had the best online fundraising day of his campaign on Wednesday, and Castro had the best fundraising day of this quarter on Tuesday. But that momentum is unlikely to earn them a lectern at the upcoming debate, as both candidates have little chance of reaching the 4 percent threshold in four approved polls before next Thursday’s deadline.