AUSTIN, Texas _ Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro has qualified for the next Democratic primary debate slated for September in Houston, his campaign said Tuesday.
The former U.S. Housing and Urban Development secretary under President Barack Obama received 2% in a CNN poll conducted by research firm SSRS that was released Tuesday. That means he has achieved the necessary 2% in four qualifying polls released between June 28 and Aug. 28 to participate in the third Democratic debate.
Castro crossed the 130,000-donor threshold _ the other requirement established by the Democratic National Committee _ in July.
"With two standout debate performances, Secretary Castro has been building momentum for his candidacy," Castro's campaign manager Maya Rupert said in a statement. "He has never wanted to be a 'flash in the pan' candidate, but rather has continued to build support and momentum by leading the field on critical issues and showing voters every day why he's the best candidate to go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump."
Fellow Texas presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke has already qualified for the September 12-13 debate, which will be hosted at Texas Southern University by ABC and Univision.
Eight other candidates have also qualified: former Vice President Joe Biden; U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind.; and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
