How the candidates in the first Democratic presidential debates will be divided

DNC unveils matchup of candidates for first primary debate

The Democratic National Committee announced Friday how the 20 candidates participating in the first Democratic debates will be divided. The candidates will be split into two groups of 10, with one group debating on June 26 and the other on June 27.

The candidates were randomly selected from two boxes, with the candidates who had earned an average of 2 percent support in polls in one box, and the remainder in another box. 

Gov. Steve Bullock, Rep. Seth Moulton, Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam and former Sen. Mike Gravel did not meet the criteria to qualify for the debates outlined by the DNC, and were not invited.

Here are the candidates who will be debating on June 26:

  • Sen. Cory Booker
  • Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro
  • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
  • Former Rep. John Delaney
  • Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
  • Gov. Jay Inslee
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar
  • Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke
  • Rep. Tim Ryan
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Here are the candidates who will be debating on June 27:

  • Sen. Michael Bennet
  • Former Vice President Joe Biden
  • South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg
  • Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
  • Sen. Kamala Harris
  • Former Gov. John Hickenlooper
  • Sen. Bernie Sanders
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell
  • Marianne Williamson
  • Andrew Yang

The debates will air on NBC, and will be moderated by NBC anchors Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt and Chuck Todd, Telemundo anchor José Díaz-Balart, and MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.