On Monday, the Republican National Committee (RNC) officially unveiled the roster of eight 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls slated to participate in Wednesday’s debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the first GOP primary debate for the 2024 race.
Former President Donald Trump has officially decided to abstain from the debate. While his absence will be noted, it creates a unique opportunity for the remainder of the candidates to potentially gain traction.
The list of debaters comprises:
- Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND)
- Former New Jerse Gov. Chris Christie
- Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL)
- Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley
- Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson
- Former Vice President Mike Pence
- Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
- Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
To qualify, the candidates had to navigate a gauntlet of requirements, including achieving at least 1 percent in three distinct national polls, or 1 percent in two national polls coupled with 1 percent in two early primary or caucus state polls. Furthermore, candidates needed to attain a threshold of 40,000 unique donors, spanning 200 distinct donors in 20 states or territories. In addition, contenders had to agree to support whoever the eventual Republican nominee turned out to be.
In a statement, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said, “The RNC is excited to showcase our diverse candidate field and the conservative vision to beat Joe Biden on the debate stage Wednesday night.” She also extended gratitude to the debate committee and partners, including Fox News and the Young America’s Foundation.
The RNC debate is scheduled for Wednesday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central time. The event will be broadcast on Fox News and moderated by anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
