Eight Republicans qualify for first 2024 presidential primary debate
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has announced the eight candidates who have qualified for the first 2024 presidential primary debate. The list includes North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. Former President Donald Trump has said he will skip the debate.
To qualify for the debate, candidates had to draw at least 40,000 individual donors and register at least 1% support in three national polls or in two national and two early state polls that met the RNC’s criteria.
Who’s in and who’s out of the first GOP debate
Ron DeSantis: The Florida governor is the top-polling candidate onstage in Trump’s absence.
Vivek Ramaswamy: The tech entrepreneur has been gaining attention in the race and has made appearances on liberal media programs.
Mike Pence: The former vice president faced difficulties in reaching the donor threshold but qualified for the debate.
Nikki Haley: The former South Carolina governor and US ambassador to the United Nations has focused on chipping away at her lower-polling rivals’ support.
Tim Scott: The South Carolina senator has offered a more positive contrast to rivals like Trump and DeSantis.
Chris Christie: The former New Jersey governor is a wild card on the debate stage and has positioned himself as a Trump critic.
Doug Burgum: The North Dakota governor attracted donors with a gift-card scheme and is the least-known contender.
Asa Hutchinson: The former Arkansas governor has also positioned himself as a Trump critic and signed the RNC pledge.
Donald Trump skips the debate
Former President Donald Trump has announced that he will skip the first 2024 presidential primary debate. Despite not participating, his campaign plans to air an interview with Tucker Carlson as counterprogramming during the debate.
Other candidates who did not qualify
Candidates who failed to meet the RNC’s requirements include Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Texas Congressman Will Hurd, conservative California talk radio host Larry Elder, and Texas pastor and entrepreneur Ryan Binkley.
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