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Tonight marks the seventh of the Democratic debates, this time in Des Moines, Iowa. With six candidates this time, it’s the smallest Democratic debate yet. But just how much time do you need to put aside for the debate tonight? Here are the details you need to know about how long the debate is tonight, January 14, 2020.
The Debate Is Scheduled to Last Two Hours & 15 Minutes
Tonight’s seventh official debate for the 2020 Democratic nomination for President is supposed to be two hours and 15 minutes long, beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern and ending at 11:15 p.m. Eastern, according to TV Guide. The debate might, however, go a little long. So don’t be surprised if the clock hits 11:15 p.m. and the debate’s not over yet. The debate is airing on CNN and some previous CNN debates have gone longer than anticipated.
According to TV Guide, the debate is airing only on CNN on TV tonight, and it’s called “CNN Democratic Debate: Des Moines.” After the debate, CNN will be airing “CNN Debate Post Analysis: Des Moines” from 11:15 p.m. Eastern to 1 a.m. Eastern live. This gives plenty of time for the debate to go a little long if needed and it would only affect the timing of the post-debate analysis.
Any news station you turn to after the debate is over will have plenty of recaps and reviews of the debate. So if you’re planning to host a watch party for this debate, then you might want to budget some extra time.
The lineup for tonight’s debate includes:
- Joe Biden, former Vice President
- Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana
- Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota senator
- Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator
- Tom Steyer, businessman
- Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts senator
How are these candidates doing in the polls? According to 538, a Sacred Heart University poll for Dec. 16-Jan. 2 in Connecticut put Biden in first at 33 percent, with Sanders at 19 percent, Warren at 18 percent, and Buttigieg at 11 percent.
But Sanders has started pulling ahead of Biden in some recent polls. A Nevada poll by Myers Research/Strategic Services for Jan. 6-8 had Sanders in the lead at 29 percent, followed by Biden at 28 percent, Warren at 14 percent, and Steyer at 8 percent.
A New Hampshire poll by Patinkin for Jan. 5-7 put Biden at 21 percent, Sanders at 19 percent, Buttigieg at 17 percent, and Warren at 10 percent.
Meanwhile, a national Ipsos poll for Jan. 8-9 put Biden at 23 percent, Sanders at 20 percent, Warren at 15 percent, and Bloomberg at 8 percent.
An Iowa poll by Selzer & Co. for Jan. 2-8 put Sanders in first at 20 percent, Warren at 17 percent, Buttigieg at 16 percent, and Biden at 15 percent.
Another national Ipsos poll for Jan. 8-9 placed Sanders first at 17 percent, Biden at 15 percent, Warren at 10 percent, and Bloomberg at 6 percent.
A Capitol Weekly California poll for Jan. 3-9 placed Sanders at 24 percent, Warren at 21 percent, and Biden at 20 percent.
So as you can see, Sanders, Warren, and Biden are still the candidates who are in the top three slots in most of the polls. In fact, Sanders has been taking the top spot a lot more frequently lately.
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