© 2026 ABC News

Based on ABC News' analyses, Steyer, Yang and Gabbard have yet to qualify for the Feb. 19 debate, but Steyer and Yang have qualified for the Feb. 7 debate in New Hampshire, which ABC News is hosting in partnership with ABC-affiliate WMUR-TV and Apple News.

Gabbard, who has been critical of the DNC's qualifying process for months, didn't qualify for the January debate in Iowa, and is still two polls shy of qualifying for the next debate, according to ABC News' analysis.

In response to the criticism Friday, DNC communications director Xochitl Hinojosa said, \"If candidates have meaningful grassroots support, they should be able to meet one\" of the thresholds.

\"We have said for months... that once people start voting, the debate threshold would change and the results of those contests would be reflected. We will have the results of TWO elections by the NV debate,\" Hinojosa tweeted. \"As we all know, candidates need 15% minimum in order to get delegates, which is how you win our nomination. We are asking candidates to just reach 2/3 of that number in polling at 10%. Or candidates can meet a criteria of merely 1 delegate from IA or NH. Again, 1 delegate out of 1,991 delegates that get you the nomination.\"

Another DNC official told ABC News, \"No matter what people will complain. Just gotta do our best to be fair.\"

\"PHOTO:
Ivan Alvarado/Reuters
PHOTO: Democratic presidential candidate and Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks at a campaign town hall meeting in Mason, Iowa, Jan. 20, 2020.
>

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar took a different stance, saying in an interview on Fox News Friday that she would \"rather debate him than have him outdo me on the airwaves.\"

\"I think that when you have got someone that is running all those ads all over the place, including a Super Bowl ad, I think that it is better to have that person debating, in the case of mayor Bloomberg, than outside just spending a ton of money,\" she said.

According to ABC News' analysis, Klobuchar has qualified for the New Hampshire debate, but not the Nevada debate.

ABC News' Averi Harper, Sasha Pezenik and Lissette Rodriguez contributed to this report.

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