Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led the other 2020 Democratic hopefuls in speaking time during the fourth presidential primary debate on Tuesday.
Warren — a top-tier candidate who was frequently attacked by her rivals, giving her time to respond — spoke for almost 23 minutes during the roughly three-hour debate in Ohio, about 6 ½ minutes more than the runner-up, former Vice President Joe Biden, according to a tracker from CNN, which hosted the debate alongside The New York Times. Biden spoke for about 16 ½ minutes.
In the most recent Quinnipiac University survey, Warren earned a 3-point lead over Biden, one of the first times she’s overtaken the former Delaware senator.
{mosads}The Massachusetts progressive, who has been gaining steam in recent polls, came under fire for her “Medicare for All” proposal and her plan to tax the wealthy, among other topics. When she was criticized by name, the moderators gave her an opportunity to respond, increasing her speaking time.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Mayor Pete Buttigieg all hovered around the 13-minute mark in their speaking time.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) took center stage for about 12 ½ minutes, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) spoke for just under 12 minutes.
Former tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and billionaire Tom Steyer all spoke less for than 10 minutes. Steyer, a philanthropist whose late entry into the 2020 race meant this was the first time he was on the primary stage, came in last in speaking time, clocking in with slightly more than seven minutes.