- The first of two Democratic debates in the 2020 presidential race happened Wednesday night, sparking questions and search queries across the US.
- Google Trends kept up with debate-related searches and tweeted out what Google considered its most interesting trends.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The first of two back-to-back Democratic debates in the 2020 presidential race happened Wednesday night, sparking questions and search queries across the US. Google Trends kept up with what America was searching for and tweeted out what Google found to be the most interesting trends.
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey ended up being the most searched candidate during the debate.
Which #DemDebate candidate was most searched during the debate? Here's the top 10:https://t.co/I0WiP7r7bt pic.twitter.com/GwK5s3P7UT
— GoogleTrends (@GoogleTrends) June 27, 2019
After the debate, Booker spoke with INSIDER’s John Haltiwanger about a topic he wished had been discussed: the legalization of marijuana.
These US maps show the most searched Democratic candidate in each state at two different points in time.
Map: before and after the #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/7y3iNoJR1N
— GoogleTrends (@GoogleTrends) June 27, 2019
It's unclear exactly when the two maps' data was recorded, but they suggest that while Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts entered the debate with significant name recognition, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii seemed to capture viewers' attention at the debate.
Julián Castro, the former secretary of housing and urban development, surged in search interest after the debate started.
.@JulianCastro has spiked +2,400% in search since the #DemDebate started.
More data: https://t.co/I0WiP7r7bt
— GoogleTrends (@GoogleTrends) June 27, 2019
As INSIDER's Joe Perticone wrote, Castro managed to separate himself from the pack at the debate. He challenged former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas and pushed the candidates further on immigration.
Searches for Spanish-to-English translations climbed as three candidates — former HUD Secretary Julián Castro, Sen. Cory Booker, and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke — responded to debate questions in Spanish.
Searches for 'English to Spanish translation' spiked +300% since the debate started#DemDebate
More data: https://t.co/I0WiP7r7bt
— GoogleTrends (@GoogleTrends) June 27, 2019
O'Rourke was the first to respond to a question in Spanish, the most common language spoken in the US outside English. During the debate O'Rourke, Booker, Castro, and a moderator all either responded to or asked questions in Spanish.
Latinos are a growing voter base, and according to Pew Research, "a record 29 million Latinos were eligible to vote in [the 2018] midterm elections, accounting for 12.8% of all eligible voters, a new high." In 2018, an estimated 11% of voters were Latino, and according to exit polls they favored Democratic candidates. (Of course, it's important to note that not every Latino voter speaks Spanish.)
This data visualization shows how the candidates stacked up in search interest throughout the debate.
The second debate is scheduled for Thursday night, when 10 more Democratic candidates - including Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Vice President Joe Biden - will take the stage.
