What Time Is The Third 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate? Schedule, Lineup & More

by Pablo MenaSeptember 12, 2019, 11:12 am2020 Election, Daily Digest, News, News Feed >

The third-round Democratic 2020 presidential debate will be held Thursday night in Houston, and here is everything you need to know.

Unlike the first two debate rounds held this summer, there is only one night of discussions this time around, as just 10 candidates met the Democratic National Committee’s polling and fundraising requirements: at least 2% support in four different approved polls and a minimum of 130,000 distinct individual contributions from at least 400 unique donors in 20 or more states.

Thursday night’s event will also mark the first time former Vice President Joe Biden, the frontrunner among 2020 Democratic candidates, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) share the stage. Warren has been gaining increasing support in many early primary polls to attain second place in the race ahead of fellow progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), with whom she has been neck-and-neck in recent weeks.

Any exchange between traditionalist Biden and far-left Warren will likely be exciting to watch, especially any discussion that revolves around issues like healthcare and the economy.

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Here are more details about the third debate:

Who Qualified: Here are the 10 candidates who will be sparring on Thursday night.

Joe Biden
Elizabeth Warren
Bernie Sanders
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California)
Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey)
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota)

ABC News announced last month how candidates will be placed on the stage:

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: ANDREW YANG ON IMPROVING THE ECONOMY

Who’s out: These 2020 Democratic contenders failed to make the cut for the third debate

Miramar, Florida, Mayor Wayne Messam
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio)
Former Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pennsylvania)
Hedge fund manager Tom Steyer
Author Marianne Williamson
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado)
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio
Former Rep. John Delaney (D-Maryland)
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii)

Start time: 8 p.m. EST. The debate is scheduled to last three hours, unlike the first two rounds, where each debate was approximately two hours long.

How to watch: The event will be aired on ABC and Univision (with Spanish translation), and can also be viewed on those channels’ streaming platforms.

Who’s moderating: ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Univision’s Jorge Ramos, World News Tonight anchor David Muir and correspondent Linsey Davis will serve as the moderators for the third debate.

Debate rules and format: ABC News reported that candidates will have one minute and 15 seconds to answer direct questions and 45 seconds for rebuttals. Each contender will still get to make an opening statement, although there will be no closing remarks.