The Democratic hopefuls will be arranged on the debate stage based on their polling results through June 12, meaning that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) will take center on the first night. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will share the middle on the second night.
According to NBC, the network hosting the event, the highest-polling candidates were put at the center, trickling out to the lowest polling hopefuls on the edges of the stages.
The bookends for the first night are New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Rep. John Delaney (D-MD); self-help speaker Marianne Williamson and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) will take the flanks on the second.
Night one, June 26, will be laid out right to left: de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), HUD Secretary Julián Castro, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Warren, O’Rourke, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Delaney.
Night two will feature, from left to right: Williamson, former Colorado John Hickenlooper, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Biden, Sanders, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Swalwell.
The debates will air from 9 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET and be moderated by Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt, Chuck Todd, Rachel Maddow and José Diaz-Balart.
Here’s everything you need to know about the first debate.
Savannah Guthrie? There’s a whole line-up of vastly more qualified women on MSNBC. I guess they need to tie the debates in to the daily pablum on the Today Show.
Todd Ugh.
“The Democratic hopefuls will be arranged on the debate stage based on their polling results through June 12, meaning that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) will take center on the first night. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will share the middle on the second night.”
Rachel makes up for it.
It will a contrast. The two old men front and center with the younger Mayor Pete and Senator Kamala Harris on either side. Interesting optics to say the least.