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Democratic debate in New Hampshire: ABC announces candidates, order and format
Seven of the 11 Democratic candidates still running for president will take the stage Friday night in Manchester, New Hampshire, for the eighth debate days after a chaotic Iowa caucus.
ABC News on Friday morning announced the left-to-right podium order for the candidates: entrepreneur Andrew Yang, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Minnestoa Sen. Amy Klobuchar and investor Tom Steyer.
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick failed to qualify.
“The format of the debate will allow candidates to answer direct questions for one minute and 15 seconds with 45 seconds for rebuttals, at the discretion of the moderators,” the network said.
“There will be no opening or closing statements, though candidates will all get a closing question,” it added.
Polling averages determined the podium order, with the highest polling candidates near the center.
The three-hour debate, which is co-hosted by ABC News, Apple News and WMUR-TV at Saint Anselm College, will begin at 8 p.m. ET.
It will be moderated by ABC chief anchor George Stephanopoulos, ABC “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir and ABC News correspondent Linsey Davis.
They will be joined by WMUR’s Political Director Adam Sexton and anchor Monica Hernandez.
The debate — the last before the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday — comes a day after all the results finally came in from Iowa.
Buttigieg leads Sanders by two state delegate equivalents out of 2,152 counted — a margin of 0.09 percentage points. Both candidates have declared themselves victorious.
But there is evidence the party has not accurately tabulated some of its results, including those released Thursday night that the party reported as complete.
The Associated Press announced it was unable to officially declare a winner.
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