RNC Announces Five Candidates for Third Republican Primary Debate
Miami, FL – The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced on Monday that five presidential candidates have met the criteria to participate in the upcoming third primary debate. The debate, scheduled for Wednesday in Miami, will feature former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
Notably missing from the debate stage will be North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who qualified for the previous two debates, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who participated in the first debate but did not make the stage for the second one. Additionally, former Vice President Mike Pence, who qualified for the first two debates, dropped out of the Republican primary last month.
Ronna McDaniel, Chairwoman of the RNC, expressed excitement for the upcoming debate, stating, “We are looking forward to our third debate in Miami, a welcome opportunity for our candidates to showcase our winning conservative agenda to the American people.”
To qualify for the third debate, candidates had to register at least 4% in either two national polls or one national poll and two polls from separate early-voting states (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina). Candidates also had to have reached at least 70,000 unique donors, with at least 200 donors in 20 states or territories.
The stakes are high for Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, as they seek to solidify their positions in the race. Haley has experienced a surge in support, positioning herself as the top alternative to former President Donald Trump in three of the four early primary states. DeSantis, on the other hand, has struggled to maintain his early positioning as the major Republican alternative to Trump. As his campaign focuses more on Iowa, DeSantis hopes that a breakout performance in the upcoming debate and a strong showing in the January caucuses will help revitalize his campaign.
Notably, Trump, the current front-runner in the Republican primary, will not be participating in the debate. Instead, he will be hosting a South Florida rally as counterprogramming. Trump’s team has argued for fewer debates in the primary.
The Miami debate will air on NBC News and will be livestreamed on Rumble, with other debate partners including Salem Radio Network and the Republican Jewish Coalition. Ronna McDaniel highlighted the RNC’s partnership with the Republican Jewish Coalition, stating that the candidates will reaffirm the Republican Party’s unwavering support for Israel and the Jewish community during the debate.
The fourth Republican debate has already been scheduled for December 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with higher polling and donor thresholds for candidates to qualify for the stage.