The Democratic Party will hold its first presidential debate sometime in June 2019. The city and exact date haven’t been chosen. Candidates qualify by either being at 1% in three national polls, or receiving donations from 65,000 people, with the further requirement of 200 donors in each of 20 states.

In case more than 20 candidates meet these requirements, then an adjustment will be made to limit the debate to 20 candidates. That is such a large number of candidates, the first debate will be a two-day affair. Thanks to Political Wire for this news.

On February 11, Alaska Representative Bryce Edgmon changed his registration from Democratic to independent. Thanks to Steve Goodale for this news.

Arkansas SB 276 would move the primary for all office from May to March. It would also move the petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties from January of the election year, to November of the year before the election. It was on the agenda in the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee for February 14, but the author, Senator Trent Garner, again didn’t bring it up. It had also been on that committee’s agenda for February 12, so that is twice that it has been postponed. It is now on the committee agenda for February 19.