Eight candidates qualify for the first Republican presidential debate

The Republican National Committee confirmed Monday night that eight presidential candidates are officially qualified to participate in Wednesday’s GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee.

While former President Donald Trump appeared to have met the party’s balloting and fundraising thresholds, he would not be on the stage, as he refused to sign the FNC’s pledge to support the final nominee and announced he would skip the debate.

The candidates who qualified and chose to participate are:

• North Dakota State Doug Burgum
• Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
• Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley
• Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson
• Former Vice President Mike Pence
• Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy
• Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, businessmen Perry Johnson and radio host Larry Elder are also excluded.

Heard’s campaign appears to run counter to FNC requirements that qualifying polls poll the “likelihood” of Republican voters.

“If the Republican Party is looking to increase our constituency and take on Joe Biden, we better have a clear understanding of what qualifies as a potential Republican voter. Anyone, regardless of party, who wishes to check the Republican slot should be considered a Republican voter.” Possible.” Natalie Johnson, Heard’s director of communications, said, “Our party expansion should be applauded, not penalized.”

Johnson also said Heard had no plans to withdraw from the campaign at this point.

Johnson tweeted about his frustration at being excluded, calling the process “rotten”.

No doubt Trump will loom large — he’s the frontrunner, and he’s leading in every recent national and state poll of Republican voters.

But his absence gives his rivals a high-profile opportunity to take their messages to a broad national audience — the debate will be broadcast on Fox News and the Rumble, the online video and live streaming site of choice for many conservatives — and to show how they do it. fare in the crowded square.

Candidates had to meet unique party ballot and donor thresholds, as well as sign a pledge saying they would ultimately support the Republican nominee and not engage in any unauthorized debates this cycle.

Those who struggled to have the first discussion might have Steeper hill to climb To do the next one in September. While the unique donor threshold only goes up from 40,000 to 50,000, candidates will need to score 3% in a few qualifying polls, up from 1% for the first debate.

The majority of the field – including Trump, DeSantis, Scott, Haley, Christie and Ramaswamy – She met the ballot and donor criteria for the first debate with relative ease. But for others, reaching the thresholds was more difficult.

Borgum furiously spent On publicity to collect the necessary donors and support in opinion polls.

Pence easily hit the party’s polling standards but needs until this month to Collect the required donors. Hutchinson also needed more time to meet the unique donor threshold, and his campaign said he had reached the 40,000 requirement. just days ago.