The debates will also mark Sen. Bernie Sanders’ return to the campaign trail after he suffered a heart attack earlier this month, at a time when he appears to have lost some momentum in the polls.
The other attendants are Democratic presidential candidates Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, billionaire Tom Steyer, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Kamala Harris, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former tech executive Andrew Yang, former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former housing secretary Julian Castro. The event is co-hosted by CNN and The New York Times.
The debates will mark Warren’s first time on stage as a frontrunner after overtaking Biden in national polls as well as in some surveys in states like Iowa and New Hampshire. Biden’s standing among voters has declined ever since US President Trump claimed the former vice president thwarted a Ukrainian prosecutor’s investigation into an energy company that employed Biden’s son Hunter as a board member.
The forum is also the first debate to take place since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump, which will likely force the contenders to address the issue on stage.