Democrats go head-to-head on second night of debate — live updates

It’s debate night round two Thursday, as the next set of 10 candidates face off in the first week of primary debates of the 2020 presidential cycle.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the frontrunner according to polls, will be sharing the debate stage with less-known names like author Marianne Williamson and businessman Andrew Yang.

The other candidates vying for voters’ attention Thursday evening are: Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Michael Bennet.

They follow last night’s debate with Sen. Cory Booker, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Julián Castro, Rep. John Delaney, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Gov. Jay Inslee, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Rep. Tim Ryan and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

The debate begins at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Watch CBSN for live coverage before, during and after the debate

Here’s a recap of what happened last night

Healthcare, immigration figure prominently in round 1 of Democratic debates

A different set of 10 Democrats vying to be the next president sparred over immigration, gun control and health care, among other topics, in the first debate of the 2020 primary season, offering a glimpse into issues that will divide and at times unite them in the months ahead.

In the briskly paced debate, candidates explained their differences on health care, climate change and LGBTQ issues. The debate revealed some of the key differences between the candidates, who sometimes talked over each other while trying to make an impression on a crowded stage.

Although there was no clear standout in the debate, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Julián Castro received the most speaking time. In terms of questions, Booker, O’Rourke and Klobuchar each had eight directed to them, followed by Warren with seven and Castro with six.

The candidates did not fixate on President Trump, but his presence loomed over the stage, with each candidate using him as a foil to pitch their agendas. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was another Republican boogeyman on the debate stage.

Thursday night’s debate likely to reveal factions within the party

Biden, the frontrunner who is positioning himself as one of the more moderate candidates and emphasizes how he wants to work across the aisle, will have to defend himself and his record from other candidates hoping to diminish his chances.

Sanders, arguably the most liberal candidate in the 2020 race who self-identifies as a Democratic socialist, is second in the polls at this point. He will likely have to defend how his positions on things like Medicare for All and free college are fiscally sustainable, as well as spar with Biden and more moderate Democrats on where the heart of the Democratic Party lies.

The debate will be make-or-break for some of the lesser-known candidates who have never stood on a national debate stage before — like Yang and Hickenlooper. The lower-polling candidates are under pressure to raise their standing in the coming weeks, since the threshold to qualify for the third and fourth DNC debates will be more difficult to meet. Candidates will need to attract 130,000 donors and poll at a minimum of 2%.

Tonight will also be key for some like Harris, who many GOP operatives see as a strong contender but still doesn’t pose a serious threat yet to Biden or Sanders in the polls.

A recent CBS News/YouGov poll querying voters’ their first-choice nominee found Biden at 31%, Warren at 17%, Sanders at 16%, Harris at 10%, Buttigieg at 8%, O’Rourke at 5%, Booker at 2% and Klobuchar at 2%. Everone else clocked in at 1% or less.