Getty Democratic Debate
The fourth Democratic debate is tonight, Tuesday, October 15, 2019. What time is the debate starting and how can you watch it on TV? Here’s a quick look at when you’ll need to tune in for the debate as candidates seek the Democratic nomination.
Debate Time & Channel
Getty
Debate Date: The fourth Democratic debate is taking place tonight: Tuesday, October 15, 2019.
Debate Time: The debate will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Central) and last until 11 p.m. Eastern, so the debate will be three hours long.
On the West Coast, the debate will air simultaneously with the rest of the country (not on a delay like sometimes happens for West Coast airings.) This means the debate will begin at 5 p.m. Pacific.
According to TV Guide, CNN is following the debate with CNN Debate Post Analysis from 11 p.m. Eastern to 1 a.m. Eastern.
Debate Channel: Tonight’s debate will be broadcast on TV on CNN. Live stream options will also be available.
To find out what channel CNN is on for you, click here to go to TV Guide’s listings. Then change the “Provider” (right under TV Listings) to your local provider. You’ll be able to scroll down to see what channel any of those stations is on for you.
Details About Tonight’s Debate
Because of more stringent debate requirements, the candidates in tonight’s debate are narrowed down to just 12 rather than 20. Two additional candidates qualified since the last debate in September. In order to qualify for this debate, the candidates needed at least 2 percent in four qualifying polls between June 28 and October 1, and donations from 130,000 unique donors.
The candidates for tonight are:
- Joe Biden, former Vice President
- Cory Booker, New Jersey senator
- Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana
- Julián Castro, former HUD Secretary and former mayor
- Kamala Harris, California senator
- Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota senator
- Beto O’Rourke, former Texas congressman
- Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator
- Tom Steyer, businessman
- Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts senator
- Andrew Yang, entrepreneur
- Tulsi Gabbard, Hawaii congresswoman
The debate is being held at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. The debate is co-hosted by CNN and The New York Times. Tonight’s debate stage will have the most candidates on stage at the same time.
The last time CNN hosted a debate, they decided not to ask candidates any questions that would require raising their hands to respond. They also said they wouldn’t ask any questions limited to a yes or no answer. Candidates were given opening and closing statements and 60 seconds to answer questions, followed by 30 seconds to respond. It’s not clear if CNN is planning to follow the same debate rules again for this debate.
The next debate after tonight’s will take place on November 20 in Georgia. It will be hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post. The qualifications are stricter for this next one. Candidates must poll at 3 percent or higher four qualifying state or national polls, or they must poll at 5 percent or higher in two qualifying state polls, with a deadline of one week before the debate. They must also receive donations from 165,000 unique donors.
READ NEXT: 10,000 Flock to Bernie Sanders’ Denver Rally the Day After His Birthday