How to watch tonight’s Democratic presidential debate
Six presidential candidates will face off Wednesday night in Las Vegas, days before the Nevada caucuses.
Here’s everything you need to know about the ninth Democratic National Committee-sanctioned primary debate.
What time is the debate?
The debate will air live at 9 p.m. ET from the Paris Theater in Las Vegas.
How can I watch it?
The debate will air live on NBC News and MSNBC. It will stream on NBC and MSNBC web and mobile platforms, and on The Nevada Independent’s website. It will air live in Spanish on Universo, as well as the Noticias Telemundo mobile app and website and Noticias Telemundo’s Facebook page, according to NBC.
You can also follow CNN’s live debate coverage on CNN.com.
What is new?
Wednesday’s debate will feature the first appearance from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who met the DNC’s mandating polling threshold this week.
Who is debating?
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
- Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
- Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Who is moderating?
NBC’s Lester Holt, Chuck Todd, Hallie Jackson, Noticias Telemundo’s Vanessa Hauc and The Nevada Independent’s Jon Ralston will moderate the event.
Who didn’t make the cut?
- Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
- Businessman Tom Steyer
How was the stage decided?
The DNC announced in January there would be no donor threshold for the Nevada debate, which opened the door for Bloomberg, who hasn’t sought fundraising, to qualify for his first contest.
In order to qualify for Wednesday’s debate, a candidate either needed 10% in four qualifying national, Nevada or South Carolina polls, or 12% in two qualifying polls from Nevada or South Carolina. A candidate was also able to qualify if they received a single delegate from either the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary. The donor threshold, which previously required candidates to receives donations from a certain number of people, has been dropped.
What happened at the last debate?
The eighth Democratic presidential debate, which was ahead of the New Hampshire primary, turned into a pile-on against Buttigieg and Sanders, who both outpaced the field in Iowa. Klobuchar was the most direct in her challenges. But Warren dinged Buttigieg over his answer on marijuana arrests in South Bend. Biden sharply criticized Sanders’ 1990s votes on gun control. Steyer played his most central role in any debate yet, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who has since dropped out, took a shot at Buttigieg.
