Everything the Candidates Discussed at the Debate

By Lauren Leatherby, Allison McCartney, Mira Rojanasakul and Jeremy C.F. Lin

September 13, 2019, 5:00 AM EDT

If the debates are any indicator, health care is shaping up as the hallmark issue of the 2020 Democratic primary. The 10 candidates who took part in the debate in Houston sparred about health care more than any other issue—21% of topics during the nearly three-hour event. It’s been the top issue discussed in the three Democratic debates so far.

Other issues discussed Thursday suggest possible shifts in the major themes defining the campaign—or at least changes in the topics moderators are asking about. Guns were a focus for the candidates after mass shootings in El Paso and near Midland, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, last month. Overall, the topic was barely mentioned during the previous debate in July.

Foreign policy—particularly President Donald Trump’s handling of an escalating trade war with China—and education were discussed more than in earlier debates. And though California Senator Kamala Harris looked into the camera to direct her opening statement at Trump, he was otherwise mentioned much less frequently.

Health care remains the top issue

Topics discussed by share of words spoken during the debate

Unlike the first two debates, which were two-night events that split 20 candidates into two groups, Thursday’s debate was the first time all the frontrunners sparred over the issues on a single night.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who is polling at 27% according to a RealClearPolitics national polling average, spoke more than any other candidate. But New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, who has struggled to gain traction in the polls, was a prominent presence on Thursday, taking opportunities to return to criminal justice reform and racial injustice.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, another frontrunner polling in the double digits, spent a lot of time discussing her health care proposal. Warren, Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders dominated speaking time at the start of the debate when Warren and Sanders pushed back on Biden’s questions about the high cost of their “Medicare for All” health care proposals.

The candidates who spoke the most

Word count by candidate, according to debate transcripts

Source: Bloomberg Government transcripts

A familiar pattern had emerged in the first debates: Early in the events, moderators would ask several questions about health care, followed by a series of questions about immigration. But in a departure on Thursday, guns, race and criminal justice reform were mentioned before a moderator brought up immigration.

Former President Barack Obama was frequently invoked by the candidates, typically in praise. But he was also the subject of the most biting attack of the debate—between former members of his administration. While discussing health care policy, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro repeatedly suggested that Biden had forgotten a position he had taken “just two minutes ago” and told him “I’m fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama, and you’re not.”