The second round of Democratic primary debate is expected to force a handful of struggling candidates to reevaluate their 2020 presidential ambitions, unless they can grab a breakout moment.

Though there are about two dozen candidates running for president, the bulk of attention — and money — has so far gone to the top five candidates. The rest have largely seen lackluster fundraising numbers and are trailing behind in the polls, while clinging onto hopes that a breakout moment in the debate this week will revive or jump-start their campaigns.

The debates on Tuesday and Wednesday will be critical for these lower-polling candidates, giving them a last chance to stand out as they look to make the debate stage in September, under much tougher criteria.

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So far seven candidates have qualified, and those who make it will have additional time to plead their case with primary voters.

But candidates who do not make it in the fall could see the beginning of the end of their presidential bids as fundraising could dry up and they could find themselves struggling to climb in the polls.

“If you don’t make the September debate stage, then it’s going to be really hard to rebound from that,” former Democratic National Committee (DNC) official Deshundra Jefferson said in an interview with The Hill.

Jefferson said a breakout moment in Tuesday and Wednesday’s debates will prove to be essential in reaching the threshold in polling and fundraising for the fall debates.

“Some people don’t get their breakthrough moment, they’re going to have to seriously sit down, talk to their staff, talk to their donors, and see, you know, how long are you with me?” she said. “So I think the second debate really is critical for a lot of these candidates who may be struggling or may not have seen the numbers that they’d like to see.”

Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist and former aide to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten GillibrandSunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Suburban moms are going to decide the 2020 election Jon Stewart urges Congress to help veterans exposed to burn pits MORE (D-N.Y.), said that some poor-performing candidates could exit the race as soon as August unless they see a substantial boost in momentum after the second debate.

“If people who are not having a lot of luck fundraising and are less than 2 percent in the polls, I think that if they don’t see a concerted bump, you’re going to see in the dog days of August, before Labor Day, a lot of people dropping out,” he said.

Brad Bannon, another Democratic strategist, said that voters were starting to narrow their view of the candidates, which could make it harder for lower-tier contenders to gain the momentum they’ll need to sustain their campaigns.

“Democratic primary voters are definitely in the process of making some cut decisions about the candidates,” he said. “It seems to me you got two separate races going on here: One race between Sanders and Warren for the progressive wing, then you have a separate race going on between Biden, Harris and Mayor Pete [Buttigieg] for the pragmatic liberal wing of the party.”

Candidates have already begun to announce that they have qualified for the third and fourth set of debates.

Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.), who is in need of a breakout performance in the debates, announced Monday that he had met the donor threshold for the third and fourth debates.

He joins former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Fox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio MORE, Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power Bernie Sanders: 'This is an election between Donald Trump and democracy' The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump stokes fears over November election outcome MORE (I-Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenHillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline Democratic senators ask inspector general to investigate IRS use of location tracking service MORE (D-Mass.), Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHundreds of lawyers from nation's oldest African American sorority join effort to fight voter suppression Biden picks up endorsement from progressive climate group 350 Action 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing MORE (D-Calif.), South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November Buttigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice MORE (D) and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas).

However, the risk is higher for long-shot candidates like former Rep. John Delaney John DelaneyCoronavirus Report: The Hill's Steve Clemons interviews Rep. Rodney Davis Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer says Trump right on China but wrong on WHO; CDC issues new guidance for large gatherings The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says country needs to rethink what 'policing' means; US cases surpass 2 million with no end to pandemic in sight MORE (D-Md.) and author Marianne Williamson Marianne WilliamsonMarianne Williamson discusses speaking at People's Party Convention Fewer people watched opening night of Democratic convention compared to 2016 Marianne Williamson: Democratic convention 'like binge watching a Marriott commercial' MORE who have struggled to gain traction in the polls and fundraising.

Not all strategists are sold on the idea that a breakout moment will determine a candidate’s decision to drop out and instead say the decision is based mostly on fundraising.

“I don’t think anyone drops until they’re completely out of money,” Kelly Dietrich, the founder of the National Democratic National Training Committee, told The Hill. “There’s no downside for staying in longer. So it may be after the first couple of primaries.”

Still, 10 hopefuls are spending money at a faster pace than they are bringing it in, according to an analysis of the candidates’ most recent federal filings.

Delaney, for instance, spent more than seven times as much as he raised in the second quarter, though his campaign’s finances are padded by substantial loans from the candidate himself. In that same period, Gillibrand dropped nearly twice as much as she brought in.

Despite some concerns over the size of the field, most strategists say the wide array of candidates benefits general sentiment among Democrats.

“I think coming out of ’16, we needed to have more choices, not to say that this field isn’t huge,” Jefferson said.

Dietrich said the field’s size makes it more difficult for President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE and Republicans to home in on one candidate in particular, like Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonFox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio Trump, Biden court Black business owners in final election sprint The power of incumbency: How Trump is using the Oval Office to win reelection MORE in 2016.

“If we only had one, the nominee crowned from the start, Donald Trump and the Republicans would be bashing him 24-7 and defining them well in advance of the general election,” he said.

“With a field this large, it’s very difficult for Republicans to try to define anyone, although we can see their latest tactic coming, it doesn’t matter who gets through, they’re going to call them a socialist.”