Aug 19, 2019 - Economy

Jay Inslee unlikely to qualify for CNN's climate change town hall

Marisa Fernandez

Jay Inslee speaking — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who has centered his 2020 campaign around climate change policy, was not one of the 10 Democratic presidential candidates who qualified for an invite to CNN's climate change town hall in September.

Why it matters: Several polls point to climate change as a top issue for Democratic voters, but Inslee, whose proposals and debate appearances have been focused on severing the U.S. from fossil fuel dependency, is still polling around 1%.

CNN said it would extend invitations to candidates who reach 2% in at least four DNC-approved polls conducted between June 28 and Aug. 21. Candidates have until Wednesday to qualify for the Sept. 4 town hall, so it means Inslee will likely end up being locked out.

The lineup:

Former Vice President Joe Biden
Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.)
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)
Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (Texas)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)
Andrew Yang
Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.), who initially declined her invitation due to a scheduling conflict.

Go deeper: Pressure grows for a Democratic climate debate

Editor's note: The story has been updated to reflect Kamala Harris' decision to attend the event.

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Jay Inslee unlikely to qualify for CNN's climate change town hall

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