TRENTON -- Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and the other three candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination will face off Tuesday night in their first debate of the 2016 race. Here is what you need to know heading in:
WHEN: The debate will begin at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time and will run two hours.
WHERE TO WATCH: CNN -- which is co-hosting the event with the Nevada Democratic Party -- will broadcast the debate live. The cable network will also stream it for free on its website. Mobile users can stream it on CNN's apps.
ON NJ.COM: NJ Advance Media will cover the event live. Follow on NJ.com/Politics.
LOCATION: The Wynn Las Vegas resort and casino.
PARTICIPANTS:
Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia
LIVE COVERAGE: First 2016 Democratic presidential debate
WHO'S (LIKELY) NOT HERE: Despite months of speculation, Vice President Joe Biden has yet to say whether he will run for the Democratic nod. But CNN has a sixth podium set aside in case he makes a last-minute decision to enter the race.
MODERATORS: In a similar format to the one CNN used when it sponsored the second Republican debate last month, network host Anderson Cooper will moderate Tuesday's event, while host Don Lemon and reporter Dana Bash will also ask the candidates questions.
MORE: Most top N.J. Dems prefer Hillary, some wait for Biden, few mention Bernie
STORYLINES TO WATCH:
* It's the topic that has generated the most headlines on the Democratic side of the presidential race: the email scandal that has dogged Clinton's campaign for months. Federal investigators have found that Clinton sent classified information over a private email server she kept while she was secretary of state. Clinton's spokespeople have insisted the information was deemed classified only after it was sent. President Obama said recently that Clinton "made a mistake" but that the move didn't threaten national security. The topic has been a top talking point among Republican candidates as they attack Clinton. But will it be a focus of this Democratic debate?
* Clinton holds a double-digit lead in many polls over Sanders, her closest competitor. But Sanders often draws thousands of people to his campaign rallies, challenging the size of the crowds who flock to see Republican front-runner Donald Trump. Still, Sanders has also faced criticism from those who brand him a socialist. Does he need a breakout debate performance to gain on Clinton?
MORE: 10 things to watch for at the Democratic presidential debate
* The three other candidates on the stage don't have much name recognition. In fact, "Saturday Night Live" recently joked that Clinton should simply moderate the debate and have the rest of the field battle for a spot as her running mate. But strong performances in the first two Republican debates gave Carly Fiorina a boost in the polls. Could the same happen here?
* How many people will watch? The first two Republican debates generated record audiences. But that race is packed with sparring candidates -- and one of them is named Donald Trump. Christie said Monday the Democratic debate will be a "nothing event" that a much smaller audience will tune in to see. Trump predicted it will be a boring affair.
* Then again, Trump announced Tuesday morning he will live-tweet the event on his Twitter handle.
NEW JERSEY TIES: The Democratic winner could end up facing either Christie or Trump -- a former Atlantic City casino magnate -- in the general election.
But on a more obscure note, the owner of the venue -- casino mogul Steve Wynn -- opened one of the first casinos in Atlantic City after gambling was legalized there in 1978: the Golden Nugget. And after Trump began opening casinos in the city in the mid-1980s, he and Wynn became rivals. Most notably, they squared off in a heated battle over a state-funded tunnel project that Trump said benefited Wynn's plans to build a new casino near the Atlantic City marina.
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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.