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Democratic Presidential Race: Will John Hickenlooper And Michael Bennet Debate Face-To-Face?

(CBS4) - There are a lot of unknowns about the first Democratic presidential debates which take place next month. We do know they will take place in Miami and they will take place across two successive nights -- June 26 and 27.

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(credit: CBS)

While there are more than 20 candidates in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, a total of only 20 candidates will take the stage on those nights -- 10 each night who meet "certain fundraising and polling thresholds," the Associated Press reports. (Those 20 will be split in half and assigned to one of the two stages randomly.)

For that reason, it's unknown if both Coloradans who are in the race will be participating in the same debate. Both Sen. Michael Bennet and former Gov. John Hickenlooper have high hopes that they'll be among that group of 20, but if they get in will they debate face-to-face?

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Senators Mark Udall, Michael Bennet and Gov. John Hickenlooper at a conference to try to create more job growth. (credit: CBS)

At one time Bennet worked for John Hickenlooper when Hickenlooper was Denver's mayor. Since then, the two have joined the ranks of Colorado's most powerful Democratic politicians. Seeing them on the same stage, both seeking their party's presidential nomination, might cause some friction.

Hickenlooper entered the race in March and Bennet officially joined last week.

DNC Chairman Tom Perez announced in March that the first sets of debates will take place in late June and then in late July. NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo will air the June debates and Stephen Colbert will air his show "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" live after each one. (The show will after CBS4 News at 10 p.m. on both nights.)

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