All-women panel will moderate November Democratic debate

Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

Democratic presidential candidates will take the stage again come November, and answer questions posed by a panel of all women, the debate hosts announced Wednesday.

MSNBC and The Washington Post, co-hosts for the Nov. 20 debate in Georgia, said MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, MSNBC host and NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell, NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker and Washington Post reporter Ashley Parker will moderate.

Venue and format details will be announced at a later date, the hosts said. The debate is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and last until 11 p.m.

The announcement comes after criticism that the Democratic primary debates have so far lacked substantial discussion on women's health issues. At the October debate, candidates California Sen. Kamala Harris and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker both raised concerns about reproductive health care, and candidates chimed in later when a question on abortion was asked.

More: Top moments from the October Democratic debate

"This is the sixth debate we've had in this presidential cycle and not nearly one word, with all of these discussions about health care, on women's access to reproductive health care, which is under full on attack in America today," Harris said.

Booker added his voice to that call. "God bless Kamala, but women should not be the only ones taking up this cause and this fight," he said.

The November debate will surely see fewer candidates on the stage because the Democratic National Committee raised its requirements to qualify yet again. Twelve candidates debated on one night in October. The hosts said that eight hopefuls have qualified for November's debate so far.

They are:

  • Former Vice President Joe Biden

  • New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker

  • South Bend, Indianan Mayor Pete Buttigieg

  • California Sen. Kamala Harris

  • Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders

  • Businessman Tom Steyer

  • Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren

  • Entrepreneur Andrew Yang

Candidates had to receive individual donations from at least 165,000 people, which includes 600 donations in 20 states, and stand at 3% or higher in at least four approved national or early state polls. Or, they can reach 5% or higher in two early state polls.

More: Following debate criticism, Elizabeth Warren will outline how to pay for 'Medicare for All' plan

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democratic debate: November debate moderators are all women