Seven Candidates Have Qualified For The December Democratic Debate [View all]

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The crowded Democratic presidential candidate field has defined much of the 2020 election cycle, including the size of the primary debates, with the October debate featuring a historic 12 candidates on a single stage. In fact, up to this point, no debate has had fewer than 10 participants. But that looks likely to change today as it’s the last day candidates can qualify for the Dec. 19 debate, and at this point, only seven candidates have qualified.

It’s possible another poll could drop today — any poll released before midnight by a qualifying pollster counts — that gives Rep. Tulsi Gabbard the last poll she needs to qualify (although she has said she won’t participate). But it seems likely that tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang will be the last candidate to have made the cut, having just earned his last qualifying poll on Tuesday.

Remember, to qualify candidates must earn 4 percent support in at least four national or early-state polls or 6 percent support in at least two early-state polls from qualifying polling organizations.1 Candidates must also meet the fundraising requirements of 200,000 unique donors (including at least 800 donors in at least 20 states or territories).

Excluding Yang and billionaire activist Tom Steyer, who qualified last Tuesday after reaching the donor threshold (he got his fourth poll on Nov. 18), the other five candidates all qualified with time to spare. (Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren all qualified on Oct. 24 after the release of the first four qualifying December debate polls, followed by South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Oct. 29 and Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Nov. 6.)

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/seven-candidates-have-qualified-for-the-december-democratic-debate/