Democratic presidential candidate Deval Patrick Deval PatrickRalph Gants, chief justice of Massachusetts supreme court, dies at 65 It's as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process Top Democratic super PACs team up to boost Biden MORE criticized Tuesday night's Democratic primary debate in Des Moines, Iowa, for a lack of diversity.

“Tonight, six candidates will take the debate stage, all remarkable public servants," the former Massachusetts governor said early Tuesday. "Yet tonight America will not see herself in full."

Patrick, who entered the race late and has yet to qualify for a primary debate, cited that "three of the four candidates who have most recently left the race have been candidates of color."

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Since December's debate in Los Angeles, Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisScott Walker helping to prep Pence for debate against Harris: report California family frustrated that governor, Harris used fire-damaged property for 'photo opportunity' Moderna releases coronavirus vaccine trial plan as enrollment pushes toward 30,000 MORE (D-Calif.), former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerDHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into allegations of medical neglect at Georgia ICE facility Black Voters Matter Fund deploying voter outreach caravans in 12 states to drive turnout MORE (D-N.J.) have all ended their campaigns.

Also in his statement, Patrick went after Democratic National Committee (DNC) leadership, asserting that the qualification requirements for the debates do not "demonstrate to Democratic voters or to the Nation the breadth and depth of diverse talent in the field."

DNC Chairman Tom Perez Thomas Edward PerezClinton’s top five vice presidential picks Government social programs: Triumph of hope over evidence Labor’s 'wasteful spending and mismanagement” at Workers’ Comp MORE defended the requirements Tuesday, saying that they are "transparent” and “inclusive."

“We made the rules, they were very transparent, they're very inclusive, and we can't change the rules midstream because there's a candidate that I wish were on but didn't make the debate stage,” Perez said on CNN’s “New Day.”

"We made the rules, they were very transparent, they're very inclusive, and we can't change the rules midstream because there's a candidate that I wish were on but didn't make the debate stage," says DNC Chairman @TomPerez about tonight's all-white debate stage in Iowa. pic.twitter.com/UNzsf9iTtP — New Day (@NewDay) January 14, 2020

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Patrick is not the only Democratic primary contender to criticize the debate stage for lack of diversity.

Following Harris's exit from the race, Booker decried the dwindling number of candidates of color in the primary.

"It’s a problem that caucusgoers here in Iowa and in Nevada and voters in South Carolina and New Hampshire are being denied the choices that they are telling us they want in February," the former candidate said during a campaign event held in Iowa.

Booker then called on the DNC to "open up" requirements for the debate stage to allow for a more diverse field.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Tulsi GabbardRepublicans call on DOJ to investigate Netflix over 'Cuties' film Hispanic Caucus campaign arm endorses slate of non-Hispanic candidates Gabbard says she 'was not invited to participate in any way' in Democratic convention MORE (D-Hawaii) has also railed against the DNC for its lack of transparency with regard to which polls are accepted to meet the threshold to qualify for the debate stage.