All set for Democratic debates

NEW YORK (AP) – NBC set the lineup for its two-night debate of 2020 presidential contenders later this month, with a top-heavy second session that will pit former Vice President Joe Biden onstage against 2016 Democratic runner-up, Bernie Sanders, the youthful Mayor Pete Buttigieg and California Sen. Kamala Harris.

The first night, June 26 in Miami, is headlined by Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey, along with former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

Representatives of 20 campaigns gathered in a conference room at NBC headquarters Friday to watch slips of paper with candidates’ names picked out of two boxes. There were separate boxes with the names of candidates polling at above or below 2 percent – an attempt to make sure most of the lesser-known candidates were not grouped together and given the stigma of a minor-league debate.

Still, when four of the six toppolling candidates landed on June 27, including the clear front-runner in Biden, that night was quickly seen as the one with the biggest stakes.