Michael Bloomberg qualifies for Democratic debate in Nevada

Former New York Mayor and U.S. Presidential Candidate Michael Bloomberg qualified to participate in the Democratic debate that will take place on Wednesday, 19, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bloomberg had the support of 19% of respondents in a survey commissioned by NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist published on Tuesday, 18. With this result, it fits the criteria for participating in the debates.

This will be the first time the tycoon will be on stage with his competitors fighting for the nomination. There have been eight debates to decide who will face Donald Trump in this year's election, but Bloomberg was left out for belatedly entering the race.

The former Mayor of New York announced his candidacy only in November and therefore decided not to participate in the first four primaries in the states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The mogul is dedicating almost his entire campaign to the so-called SuperTuesday, when 16 states hold Democratic primaries on the same day.

Despite this, Bloomberg spent much more than the other Democratic candidates on campaign ads. According to the NPR poll, PBS NewsHour and Marist, the investment has been worth it: the press mogul comes in second place in the poll, with 19% of the subtitle's voting intentions, behind vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (31%).

To participate in the debate in Las Vegas, candidates must meet at least one of two requirements: having won at least one delegate in the primaries already held in Iowa and New Hampshire; or present at least 10% of voting intentions in four national polls or 12% of intentions in two polls conducted in Nevada and South Carolina.

Previously, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) had established that pre-candidates needed to have received donations to their campaigns from at least 100,000 voters. The condition would eliminate Bloomberg, as the millionaire conducts a campaign funded only by his fortune. In late January, however, the DNC eliminated this last application.