(CNN) Former Vice President Joe Biden will stand center stage, flanked by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on his right and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to his left, for the next presidential debate, which will also feature a new face and a returning candidate among the dozen Democrats onstage vying for their party's nomination.

The stakes are incredibly high for the candidates participating in the CNN/New York Times Democratic presidential debate on October 15, as several candidates will likely need a breakout performance to remain competitive in this crowded primary field. For businessman Tom Steyer , it will be his first presidential debate, while Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard returns to the stage after failing to qualify for the September debate.

In all, 12 Democratic hopefuls will appear on the same stage for the debate: Biden, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Gabbard, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, Sanders, Steyer, Warren and businessman Andrew Yang.

The Democratic National Committee's fourth sanctioned primary debate will air live at 8 p.m. ET from Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, a northeast suburb of the state capital, Columbus. CNN anchors Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper and New York Times national editor Marc Lacey will serve as the debate moderators.

The 12 campaigns were required to submit paperwork to the DNC Wednesday morning certifying that their respective candidate achieved the fundraising and polling thresholds required to participate in the October debate. To receive an invitation to this debate, candidates needed to attain at least 2% in four separate DNC-approved polls and receive contributions from at least 130,000 unique donors, including at least 400 donors from 20 different states.

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