Two presidential hopefuls ending their bids in quick succession shifts attention to remaining candidates struggling to show a viable path to securing the Democratic presidential nomination.
Cory Booker, 50, who appears to be the only one of the 10 candidates on the November debate stage who may not appear on the December round, is the latest candidate under make-or-break pressure.
The New Jersey senator has met the qualification requirement of securing 200,000 individual donors but has not secured any Democratic National Committee-approved polls needed to qualify: four 4% or higher polls or two 6% polls in early states. With only about 10 days left before the Dec. 12 deadline and zero polls acquired, it is unlikely that Booker will meet that mark.
A Booker campaign memo to supporters last week outlined a plan to secure required polls to meet the debate, and, on Sunday, Booker launched his first ad campaign. Unlike when his campaign said in September that he would be forced to drop out of the race if he did not raise $1.7 million in 10 days, Booker has not directly said whether he plans to stay in the race if he does not make the debate. He hinted, though, that the situation could be dire.
“If you want me in this race, if you want my voice and my message, which is resonating, then — then I need help,” Booker said in a CBS interview on Sunday.
Booker’s potential do-or-die moment comes as two candidates dropped out within 24 hours on Sunday and Monday, drawing attention to lower-tier candidates facing cash constraints.
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who appeared in just one presidential debate in July, suspended his presidential campaign on Monday. “It has become clear that in this moment, I won’t be able to break through to the top tier of this still-crowded field of candidates,” Bullock said. Former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak, who never appeared in a primary debate and received little national media attention, ended his bid on Sunday.
Fourteen of the 22 candidates who appeared on at least one debate stage this year remain in the race, plus a pair of new additions, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, for a total of 16 candidates.
Though no more than nine of those candidates appear likely to make the sixth Democratic presidential debate in Los Angeles on Dec. 19, some of the seven others are projecting strength.
The campaign for former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, who has generally self-funded his presidential bid, asserted that he is not going anywhere, though he hasn’t appeared in a debate since July. “While Other Moderates Drop Out Of Presidential Race, Delaney Endures,” a campaign press release said on Monday.
Former Housing Secretary Julian Castro failed to qualify for the November debate, which he suggested in a fundraising email would lead him to drop out. Yet Castro remains in the race.
The six candidates have qualified for the Dec. 19 debate so far:
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- California Sen. Kamala Harris
- Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
- Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Three other candidates who participated in the November round appear likely to meet the December standards.
Businessman Tom Steyer has met the polling threshold, but his campaign has not publicly said if he has passed the 200,000 donor mark. Both Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and entrepreneur Andrew Yang have passed 200,000 donors, but each needs one more 4% or higher poll to qualify.
