Tom Steyer reaches donor threshold for September debates
Democratic presidential candidate and billionaire activist Tom Steyer announced on Tuesday he has reached the required 130,000 donors to qualify for the next fall debates.
He is the latest candidate to inch closer to taking the stage after entrepreneur Andrew Yang qualified last week.
To make the cutoff for the September primary debates, candidates must be polling at 2 percent or higher in four different approved nationwide or early-state surveys. They must also receive donations from over 130,000 individuals, coming from at least 20 states with 400 donors each, by August 28. With just over two weeks left, Steyer has three qualifying polls under his belt. If he reaches the benchmark, the Houston debates in September will be his first appearance.
I'm thrilled to announce that today we've reached the required 130,000 individual donors to appear in September's debate. Just one more qualifying poll stands between us and that stage!
Thanks to all who've contributed even $1 to this movement. We can't do this without you.— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) August 13, 2019
The benchmark for the next debates is higher than with the previous two rounds of debates, which saw 20 candidates split between two nights. However, it is unclear whether the stricter rules will narrow the pool of candidates. The debate could still be split into two nights.
Nine candidates are on the list so far:
Former Vice President Joe Biden
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
California Sen. Kamala Harris
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang
More: Here are the candidates who have qualified for the September Democratic debate in Houston - so far
Steyer entered the race in early June with a pledge to combat corporate money in politics and climate change. So far, he has spent over $7 million on TV advertising alone, The Atlantic reported.
More: Billionaire and activist Tom Steyer announces run for president
His campaign also plastered social media with ads urging voters to donate as little as $1, each of which would count as a unique donor to meet the debate minimum.
“All the money you’ve donated to this campaign so far will go directly into a grassroots organizing fund to support our volunteers. 130,000 donations can help us knock on a LOT of doors," Steyer tweeted.
The September debates are slotted for Sept. 12 and 13 and will be hosted by ABC News and Univision.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Steyer reaches donor requirement for Democratic debates
