Staff Reports
The first Republican primary debate is set to take place on February 14, 2019, and it will feature eight candidates from different political groups. It will be moderated by the RNC. Besides former President Trump, who will not be participating, other notable individuals will also be making their debut.
The lineup for the debate includes governors from various states, such as North Dakota's Doug Burgum, Florida's Ron DeSantis, Arkansas' Asa Hutchinson, South Carolina's Tim Scott, and Mike Pence, who was the former vice president. Also, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will be participating.
The candidates had to meet a set of criteria in order to get into the debate. For instance, the Republican National Committee (RNC) required them to receive at least a 1% support from at least three national polls and two polls from early voting states, such as Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada.
Besides having a strong support from the polls, the candidates also had to meet certain fundraising requirements. For instance, they had to show that they have at least 40,000 unique individuals who contributed to their campaign.
Before they take the stage, all of the candidates must make a pledge to support their party's eventual nominee. This is important since, after all, you can't forget your allegiance to the party.
The Chair of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, is excited to present the diverse field of candidates for the primary debate, which will feature a conservative vision to take on Joe Biden. She is also thanking the individuals behind the event.
Some of the candidates who were hoping to join the debate were left off the list. For instance, Larry Elder, a conservative talk radio host, and Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami, thought they were going to be part of the debate. However, their names were not included in the list.
Due to Donald Trump's absence, the candidates who were planning on attacking him will no longer be able to do so. Instead, they will have to focus on the issues that they believe are important to the country. The next Republican primary debate will take place on August 23 in Wisconsin. It will be hosted by Fox News and will feature Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier.
