Bullock joins second 2020 Democratic debate, rest of candidates the same

[July 18, 2019]  By John Whitesides

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Governor Steve Bullock of Montana will be the only new face on stage for the second round of Democratic presidential debates later this month in Detroit, the Democratic National Committee said on Wednesday.

Bullock will replace U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell, who dropped out of the 2020 White House race earlier this month. The other 19 candidates will be the same as the participants in the first round of Democratic debates last month in Miami.

Left out of the July 30 and July 31 debates will be U.S. Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, former U.S. Representative Joe Sestak and Wayne Messam, the mayor of Miramar, Florida.

The lineup of 10 candidates for each night will be determined in a live drawing on Thursday night on CNN, which will air the debates.

The Democrats are competing for the nomination to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in 2020.

The crowded field of more than two dozen contenders led the party to limit the number of participants to 20 during the first two rounds of debates, and split them evenly over two nights.

To qualify, the party required that candidates get 65,000 donors, including at least 200 individual donors in 20 different states, or register 1% support in three qualifying public opinion polls.

The first round of debates proved significant last month. Polls tightened after a strong performance by U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, who confronted front-runner Joe Biden, the former U.S. vice president, over race.

The Democrats plan at least 12 debates during the nominating race. The qualifying standards are significantly tougher for the next debate in September in Houston, when candidates will need to register 2% in at least four polls and have 130,000 unique donors.

The complete list of participants in Detroit:

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado

Former Vice President Joe Biden

Montana Governor Steve Bullock talks to the media and students at Helena High School as he launches 2020 U.S. presidential campaign in Helena, Montana, U.S., May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart/File Photo

U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey

Montana Governor Steve Bullock

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Former Housing Secretary Julián Castro

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio

Former U.S. Representative John Delaney of Maryland

U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California

Former Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota

Former U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke of Texas

U.S. Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

Author Marianne Williamson

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang

(Editing by Diane Craft)

[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.