The ninth Democratic debate kicks off in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening and the candidates are gearing up for a showdown — including possible former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
The Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary failed to winnow the bloated field and each of the five presidential wannabes on stage at the Paris Theater will be hoping for a big boost in both financial donations and support ahead of the Nevada caucus on Feb. 22.
You can watch the debate, hosted by NBC News and MSNBC, from 9 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 19.
Here are the key things to know:
- The biggest wildcard ahead of the debate is whether Big Apple billionaire Michael Bloomberg will qualify in time. His campaign is not accepting political donations, which prevented him from joining previous debate. The Democratic National Committee removed the donor threshold for the Feb. 19 debate but the former New York mayor must reach 10 percent in four polls approved by the party to qualify. He needs one more before the Tuesday night deadline and Monmouth state poll on Virginia released Tuesday may get him over the line. “If Mike qualifies, he will debate,” Bloomberg spokeswoman Galia Slayen told The Hill on Sunday.
- Five candidates have already qualified so far: Sen. Bernie Sanders (D. VT), former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D. MA), Ex-South Bend, Ind. mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D. MN).
- After a dismal fourth-place finish in Iowa and fifth-place finish in New Hampshire, Joe Biden is in the fight for his political life and is hoping to turn out black and brown voters in the more diverse Nevada.
- Bernie Sanders is the clear front runner. A Nevada Poll released Friday showed the septuagenarian socialist leading by a solid 25 percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers.
- Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar will also be looking to prove that they can attract support from Latino and African American voters, a problem plaguing both of their campaigns.
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