Bloomberg hasn’t yet qualified for the next debate.
The DNC on Saturday rolled out the qualification rules for its presidential debate later this month in South Carolina — criteria that leave the door open for two billionaires, Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, to join the top five candidates who emerged from Iowa and New Hampshire.
To qualify for the Feb. 25 debate in Charleston, S.C., candidates need to hit 10 percent in four polls approved by the DNC (or 12 percent in South Carolina-specific polls) or win at least one delegate from one of the three preceding early states: Iowa, New Hampshire or Nevada. Polls must be released between Feb. 4 (the day after the Iowa caucuses) and Feb. 24.
These rules are similar to the criteria for the Feb. 19 debate in Nevada. The two billionaires in the race — Steyer and Bloomberg — have not met the qualification criteria for either the Nevada or South Carolina debates. The deadline to qualify for Nevada is Feb. 18.
