The governor of Montana, a Massachusetts congressman and the mayor of a midsize Florida city failed to qualify for the first presidential primary debates of the 2020 cycle, the Democratic National Committee announced Thursday. The selection process, which will not be televised, will first sort candidates polling at 2 percent or higher over the two nights, with a separate drawing for those with lower polling numbers. Next month, candidates will have to submit a new set of polling and donor information to qualify for the July 30 and July 31 debates. Candidates will have to earn at least 2 percent support in four party-approved polls between late June and August. By requiring a combination of grass-roots donations and polling, Perez is preparing to effectively cast out candidates who fail to make the cut by summer’s end.

Source: Washington Post June 13, 2019 22:41 UTC