There are still 24 Democrats running for president in the 2020 election, and on Tuesday, July 30 and Wednesday, July 31, 20 of them will face off in the second round of presidential debates. The July debates, held in Detroit, Michigan, will air from 8:00pm ET to 10:00pm ET both nights, and will be shown on CNN, CNN International, and CNN in Español; the debates will also stream live, for free, on CNN’s site. In typical CNN fashion, the network will provide pre- and post-debate coverage, as well. Like the 1st Democratic debates in June, the candidates were evenly split between two nights by random drawing, in order to avoid unfair matchups and a “kids table” on the second night.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t ones to watch each night. Former Vice President Joe Biden, 76, is now seen as the candidate to watch on night two. After getting caught off guard by comments by California Senator Kamala Harris, 54, and then awkwardly sparring with her during the June 27 debate, he told supporters during a fundraiser last week that he won’t be as “polite” this time. He’ll be standing next to Harris at the debate this time. That being said, if Biden does poorly during his second debate, he has a lot to lose. A mediocre performance and seeming as if he cannot think on his feet will lose him points in a campaign that’s already beginning to sour.
The debates will be moderated by CNN anchors Dana Bash, Don Lemon, and Jake Tapper. The network has stated that the candidates will have time for both an opening and closing statement. When the candidate is directly asked a question, they will have one minute to respond; comments and rebuttals are limited to 30 seconds. And, if a candidate mentions another, they’ll get 30 seconds to respond. Unlike NBC’s format in the first debate, there will be no “show of hands or one-word, down-the-line questions,” and any candidate who “consistently interrupts” (cough… Kirsten Gillibrand) will “have his or her time reduced,” according to the network. Here is the full list of candidates debating each night:
Night One, July 30
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Former Maryland Rep. John Delaney
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
Massachussetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Author Marianne Williamson
Night Two, July 31
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet
Former VP Joe Biden
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker
Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
California Sen. Kamala Harris
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee
Businessman Andrew Yang
These candidates did not qualify for the debates: Billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer; Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton; former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak; Miramar, Florida Mayor Wayne Messam. California Rep. Eric Swalwell has dropped out of the race.