GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Detroit will be the scene for the second of the planned Democratic presidential primary debates and because it will be so early in the cycle, virtually the whole field should still be in the race.

The first debate will be in Florida in June before the big event moves to Detroit. They will be held on back-to-back nights July 30 and July 31 and will air on CNN.

The Democratic National Committee previously announced that candidates would either have to get 1 percent in three approved polls or have 65,000 donors from at least 20 states to qualify. If a candidate qualifies, his or her name will be drawn at random to determine on which stage they will appear.

The selection of Detroit is no coincidence. The longtime stronghold for Democrats is in a state that has already been identified as one of handful of battlegrounds where the 2020 presidential race will be won or lost. Republicans know it, too, which is one reason why President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Grand Rapids last week.

The Democratic debate will shine a big spotlight on Michigan early on and you can expect to see a lot of all of the candidates in the state leading up to and after July.