Gabbard qualifies for next Democratic presidential debate

HONOLULU – Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii has qualified for the next Democratic Party presidential debate after failing to make the threshold for the last one.

A Monmouth University poll released Tuesday shows Gabbard has the support of 2% of registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters likely to participate in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary in February.

To earn a spot in the mid-October debate, candidates must receive 2% or more support in at least four recognized polls. Candidates must also have donations from at least 130,000 unique donors and 400 unique donors in at least 20 states.

Criteria will be stricter for November’s debate. Candidates will need at least 3% support in four national or single-state polls and 5% in two single-state polls. Candidates will need at least 165,000 unique donors.