Where's The First Democratic Debate Being Held?

Get ready for the viewing parties, hopefully this time with fewer cringe-worthy moments. The first Democratic presidential debate will be held Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Wynn in Las Vegas, Nev. Anderson Cooper will host the two-hour event and it will air on CNN at 9 p.m. ET. Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash and CNN en Español Anchor Juan Carlos Lopez will ask additional questions, and Don Lemon will read questions submitted through Facebook, the debate's other sponsor. Lincoln Chafee, Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley, Bernie Sanders, and Jim Webb have all been invited to participate. All five met CNN's criteria for participation: they achieved the necessary support of 1 percent in three polls since Aug. 1.

This criteria for participation drew notice because it could allow Joe Biden to join the debate as late as the day of the event. Biden has already polled high enough and the only other requirement is to file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission or announce that he will by the next day. Despite the option, he is not expected to participate.

Going into the debate, Hillary Clinton remains the candidate to beat. This past weekend she played a bartender on SNL listening to her impersonator Kate McKinnon, showing she's willing to confront the issues and accusations lobbed at her head on. In the latest poll, Clinton leads the pack with support of 42 percent of Democrats polled from Sep. 26 to Oct. 1. Biden came in second with 22 percent.

Assuming Biden doesn't participate, Sanders is the other main candidate to watch. He came in third with 18 percent, has been drawing loud crowds at speaking events across the country, and has nearly matched Clinton in fundraising since July: $26 million to her $28 million.

The other three candidates have drawn less notoriety in the press and the debate will allow them to reach a wider national audience. Lincoln Chafee is a politician and former Republican from Rhode Island where he has served as a U.S. Senator and governor. In 1999, he was appointed to his father John Chafee's Republican Senate seat upon his death. Lincoln then ran as a Republican and won in 2000 for a full term. After losing his reelection in 2006, he became an independent the next year and registered as a Democrat in 2013 after serving as a co-chair of Obama's reelection campaign.

Martin O'Malley is a politician from Maryland where he served as mayor of Baltimore and governor. He signed the state's marriage equality bill into law and has touted his record supporting public universities and sound financial stewardship in the state. His campaign has pushed for more Democratic presidential debates, arguing it gives lesser known candidates a shot.

Jim Webb is a journalist, author, and former Senator from Virginia. He has an interesting array of views on the issues. He supports gun rights but proposes reforming the criminal justice system to prevent locking up non-violent offenders. He also recently was in the news for saying the United States should be "careful" about taking in more refugees from Syria.