Texans Beto O'Rourke and Julián Castro will share the same stage on first night of first 2020 debates

WASHINGTON — The state's two Democratic presidential candidates will face off on the same debate stage later this month, NBC News announced Friday.

Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro will appear on the stage June 26, the first of two nights of debates sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee and moderated by MSNBC in Miami.

They will face off with eight other Democratic candidates: U.S. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; U.S. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Tim Ryan of Ohio; former U.S. Rep. John Delaney of Maryland; New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

The second heat of Democratic candidates will feature former Vice President Joe Biden; U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet of Colorado, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California and Bernie Sanders of Vermont; South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigeig; U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell; former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper; author Marianne Williamson and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

The Democratic National Committee required candidates to meet a polling and fundraising threshold in order to limit the number of candidates appearing onstage. The groupings were determined by a drawing at NBC headquarters in New York City.

The debates will air on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo.