WASHINGTON (AP) - For Mike Bloomberg, the one-way conversation with Democratic voters is about to end.
By spending more than $400 million of his own money and largely bypassing his opponents by skipping the early primary states, Bloomberg has rocketed to double-digit support in enough national polls to qualify for tonight's Nevada debate.
However, as Bloomberg's support has risen, so has the criticism from his Democratic foes as well as the broader scrutiny of his past comments and record as New York City mayor. As he faces his rivals onstage for the first time, they've made it clear they're eager to take him on.
On Tuesday, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren offered a preview of one line of attack the billionaire can expect face to face.
"It's a shame Mike Bloomberg can buy his way into the debate," she tweeted, "but at least now primary voters curious about how each candidate will take on Donald Trump can get a live demonstration of how we each take on an egomaniac billionaire."
It will be the first time he's debated in more than a decade. And the first time in this campaign that Bloomberg will have to answer before a national audience for racial and sexist comments he's made in the past. Mark Green, the former New York City public advocate who ran against Bloomberg for mayor in 2001, said that could be tough.
"His insulting, wise-guyish comments on race and women and justice will not be easy to parry if the moderator or rival frames the questions correctly," he said.
A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll published Tuesday showed Bloomberg with 19 percent support nationally in the Democratic nominating contest, a striking figure for a candidate who has joined no debates and competed in no primaries.
The former New York City mayor, who launched his presidential campaign in November, will appear in Las Vegas alongside former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Warren, Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Fellow billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is still hoping to qualify.
While Bloomberg is appearing on the debate stage in Nevada, he still is not participating in Saturday's state caucus. He's skipping the first four voting states - Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina - in favor of focusing on the multitude of states that vote March 3, Super Tuesday.
Trying to keep expectations in check, aides have repeatedly noted in recent days that Bloomberg's rivals have had multiple debates to hone their skills and talking points. On the campaign trail, he's still using a teleprompter to deliver his short stump speeches, and he rarely takes questions directly from voters.
His aides have also emphasized the former mayor is expecting fire from all angles, particularly on his status as a billionaire self-funding his campaign and on the "stop-and-frisk" police practice he employed in New York.
However, Tim O'Brien, a senior adviser to the campaign, said the debate will be a chance to showcase Bloomberg's focus and claims to deliver on-key Democratic issues, like climate change and gun control.
"The debate's a chance for us to make it clear that this is a deeply compassionate and principled man who isn't just a rich guy on a vanity run," O'Brien said