Here’s everything you need to know about the October debate

The lineup for the fourth Democratic presidential debate in Westerville, Ohio, on October 15 has been finalized. One night. One stage. Twelve candidates.

Former Vice President Joe Biden will take center stage, flanked by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The debate will be hosted by CNN and the New York Times and be held at Otterbein University, outside of Columbus, Ohio.

CNN reported the Democratic National Committee decided to hold the debate on one night, with all 12 qualifying candidates — two more than the September debate, despite having capped the number of candidates onstage together at 10 for past debates. Here’s the podium order:

Sen. Bernie Sanders was hospitalized October 1 after experiencing chest pain on the campaign trail, and underwent an emergency procedure to insert two stents. Sanders says he is recovering and feeling “really good.” He will be at the debate.

To make it on to the stage in October, Democratic candidates had to raise donations from 130,000 people and earn 2 percent support in four polls approved by the Democratic National Convention between June 28 and 11:59 pm. Eastern on October 1. Both Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer qualified for the fourth debate, after coming up short on making it to the stage in September.

The thresholds to make the fourth debate were the same as the September one, but candidates had a little more time to qualify this time. It’s clear that the these rules are already winnowing the field on the national stage.

Seven candidates did not meet the threshold:

The Democratic field has slimmed in the past month; New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has dropped out, as has former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who has now decided he will challenge Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in the Colorado Senate race instead. Rep. Seth Moulton dropped out, as did Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who has instead been elevated as Democratic candidates’ climate guru.

Still months from the February Iowa caucuses, when the first Americans will be able to vote for one of the Democratic candidates, the Democratic presidential primary remains a three-way race between Biden, Warren, and Sanders.

Warren inched ever so slightly ahead of former Vice President Joe Biden in the RealClearPolitics polling average this week to at least briefly take the lead in the field of 2020 Democratic contenders. Biden finds himself at the center of Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, and Sanders, who hasn’t shaken a third-place standing in national polls, told reporters he’ll have to initially level back his campaign appearances after a heart attack.

Going into the September debate, candidates like Bennet and Bullock both told the Washington Post that they weren’t deterred by being shut out of the event. But missing two debates will certainly be difficult for candidates with already low national name recognition.

The debates serve as an important opportunity for smaller campaigns to get their names and message out to the rest of the country. But between the three rounds — and five nights — of debates so far, none of the break out moments have gone to lesser-known candidates. Instead, polling shows the Democratic primary increasingly looks like a three-way race between Biden, Warren, and Sanders.

Whether the lesser-known candidates will withstand missing out on two debates remains to be seen.

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