To qualify for the debate, the DNC required candidates to show a threshold of at least 1% support in major polls, or 65,000 individual donations from at least 20 states. If more than 20 candidates qualified, the DNC would decide who to cut (which would have given them a great excuse to get rid of Bernie before things start getting out of hand like they did during the last go-round). Here's the final list of contenders:
Joe Biden, former vice president Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator from Massachusetts
Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont
Pete Buttigieg, South Bend, Indiana, mayor
Kamala Harris, U.S. senator from California
Beto ORourke, former U.S. congressman from Texas
Cory Booker, U.S. senator from New Jersey
Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. senator from New York
Michael Bennet, U.S. senator from Colorado
Amy Klobuchar, U.S. senator from Minnesota
Tim Ryan, U.S. congressman from Ohio
Eric Swalwell, U.S. congressman from California
Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. congresswoman from Hawaii
Jay Inslee, Washington governor
John Hickenlooper, former Colorado governor
Julian Castro, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Bill de Blasio, New York City mayor
John Delaney, former U.S. congressman from Maryland
Andrew Yang, entrepreneur
Marianne Williamson, spiritual healer
Poster Comment:
Pete Buttigieg and Sanders for first and second place in Iowa.