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The Next Presidential Debate Moves to D.C. Over Coronavirus Concerns

Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned

From Town & Country

The Democratic field has been shrinking rapidly, and ahead of the next debate, which will take place from 8 to 10 p.m. ET on March 15, there are just three candidates left in the running, and only two have secured a place on the stage. The debate was originally slated to take place in Phoenix, Arizona, but concerns over the coronavirus outbreak have forced the event to move to Washington D.C.—and to take place without an audience.

"Out of an abundance of caution and in order to reduce cross-country travel, all parties have decided that the best path forward is to hold Sunday's debate at CNN's studio in Washington, D.C., with no live audience," Democratic National Committee communications director Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement.

The debate is being co-hosted by CNN and Univision. It will air on CNN, and moderators include Ilia Calderón, Dana Bash, and Jake Tapper.

In order to winnow down the group on the debate stage as the race progresses, the DNC continues to set higher thresholds for the candidates to meet in order to participate in each round of debates. A candidate qualifies for a place on the stage in this debate by earning 20% of the delegates pledged thus far.

Here's who will be on the stage:

After Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg, and Elizabeth Warren suspended their campaigns in the days leading up to and directly following Super Tuesday, only Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Tulsi Gabbard are left in the race. But tonight's event will be a head-to-head debate as only Sanders and Biden have qualified for a place on the stage.

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