Author Marianne Williamson qualifies for Democratic primary debates

Author and 2020 presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson qualified Thursday to appear on the Democratic primary debate stage after reaching the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) donor threshold.

“I am grateful to the many people who took it upon themselves to help create this significant achievement. Ours has been – and will continue to be – a campaign of ideas that people care about and that they are willing to stand behind. It takes a certain kind of audacity to take a stand for something truly new,” Williamson said in a statement. “What has occurred here is the proverbial ‘end of the beginning’, and now the next phase of our work begins.” 

{mosads}Williamson touted that beyond garnering 65,000 unique donors overall, she also has over 200 unique donors in 43 different states.

Williamson, a bestselling author who has written about the intersection of spirituality and politics, launched her longshot presidential bid in January. She has angled her appeal toward the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, saying President Trump has “fascist leanings” and supporting paying reparations to descendants of slaves. 

The DNC has mandated that candidates must either garner donations from at least 65,000 unique donors or hit at least 1 percent in at least three approved polls to appear at the primary debates. 

The committee has said that it will prioritize candidates who meet both thresholds if more than 20 contenders qualify for the debates. The primary field has already burgeoned to 22 candidates. 

A tally calculated by The New York Times shows that Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former Vice President Joe Biden, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D), former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and entrepreneur Andrew Yang have all qualified under both requirements.

Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), former Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) have all hit the polling threshold. 

The first primary debate will be held June 26 and 27 in Miami and the second will be a month later in Detroit.