University of Maryland alumnus Eric Swalwell has reached the polling threshold for the Democratic National Committee’s first presidential debate, his campaign announced Tuesday.
To qualify for the first two of the DNC’s 12 debates, the committee announced in February that a candidate must either score at least 1 percent in three polls or collect donations from at least 65,000 unique donors.
The California congressman, a 2003 graduate of this university, announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in early April. He scored the required 1 percent support in three different polls during the same month.
[Read more: Rep. Eric Swalwell was UMD’s first city council liaison. Now, he’s eyeing the White House.]
The Federal Election Commission has not released information regarding Swalwell’s campaign contributions as of April 30.
“I’m grateful that I’ll have a place on the debate stage to discuss ending gun violence, providing affordable healthcare for all while finding cures in our lifetime, ensuring all communities have top-notch schools, and making sure student loan debt isn’t a lifetime burden,” Swalwell said Tuesday in a campaign press release.
Swalwell transferred to this university in 2001 and served as the Student Government Association’s Campus Affairs vice president, as well as the inaugural student liaison to the College Park City Council, a position that still exists today.
[Read more: UMD SGA president, city council liaison endorse College Park Mayor Wojahn for reelection]
In December, Swalwell delivered the alumni speech for the behavioral and social sciences college’s winter 2018 commencement ceremony.
When he announced his candidacy on April 8, Swalwell entered a crowded Democratic field, which now stands at 20 candidates. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who announced April 25, is the early front-runner for the nomination in most polls, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in second.
The DNC will host the first of its presidential debates on June 26-27 in Miami.
