Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii on Monday said she won’t participate in next week’s Democratic presidential debate regardless of whether or not she qualifies.
“For a number of reasons, I have decided not to attend the December 19th ’debate’ — regardless of whether or not there are qualifying polls,” Ms. Gabbard said on Twitter. “I instead choose to spend that precious time directly meeting with and hearing from the people of New Hampshire and South Carolina.”
It appears that Ms. Gabbard is one qualifying poll short of meeting the Democratic National Committee’s polling threshold to make the next debate stage.
Candidates have to hit at least 4% support in four national or early state polls, or at least 6% support in two early state polls, to make the next debate stage.
Ms. Gabbard has already secured contributions from 200,000 individual donors — the other metric the DNC requires from candidates to qualify for the sixth debate in Los Angeles.
Candidates are staring at a Thursday deadline to qualify for the Dec. 19 debate.
The Hawaii congresswoman participated in last month’s debate, but has criticized the DNC and its process for determining who makes it into the stage.
It appears that six candidates have qualified for the next debate so far: former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
In addition to Ms. Gabbard, Sen. Cory A. Booker of New Jersey, former housing secretary Julián Castro and entrepreneur Andrew Yang have hit the donor threshold but not the polling threshold to make it on the stage.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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