One year away from the 2024 election, amid a contracting GOP primary field for president, five candidates have qualified for the third Republican debate on Wednesday, compared to the seven who qualified for the last one.
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The most notable absence from the debate stage in Miami will be former Vice President Mike Pence, who dropped out of the race late last month. Pence is now looking to back another candidate in an attempt to thwart former President Donald Trump, whose primary victory is looking increasingly inevitable. (North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum also didn’t make the cut.)
A Trump campaign spokesperson said in September that Trump would not be attending the third debate. His team also called on the Republican National Committee to cancel all future debates, a request which the committee ignored, announcing it had scheduled a fourth debate for December. The former president is scheduled to rally in nearby Hialeah, FL, on Wednesday night, where his team will even have a spin room to counter what may be said about him at the debate, according to a recent press release.
To qualify for the third debate, the Republican National Committee requires candidates to have drawn donations from 70,000 individuals, including at least 200 donors from at least 20 different states. They also need 4% support in two qualifying national polls or in a mix of national and early state polls conducted on or after September 1, and they must sign a loyalty pledge agreeing to support whoever the party eventually nominates.
“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,” RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. “We are especially honored to be the first political party to partner with a Jewish organization for a debate in our partnership with the Republican Jewish Coalition, and our candidates will reaffirm the Republican Party’s unwavering support of Israel and the Jewish community on the stage Wednesday night.
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Here are the five candidates set to be on the debate stage:
Ron DeSantis
Lately, the Florida Governor has found himself sparring with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has caught up to him in some polls. In particular, DeSantis has argued that he has been tougher on China and slammed her comments about Gaza. The attacks suggest that his status as the most viable Trump alternative is no longer secure. After winning reelection by a resounding 20 points in the Sunshine State last year, Desantis, 45, has continued to face a barrage of criticism for everything from embracing right-wing culture war issues to his choice of footwear. In another blow, one of his home-state senators, Rick Scott, recently backed Trump.
“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,” RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. “We are especially honored to be the first political party to partner with a Jewish organization for a debate in our partnership with the Republican Jewish Coalition, and our candidates will reaffirm the Republican Party’s unwavering support of Israel and the Jewish community on the stage Wednesday night.
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Here are the five candidates set to be on the debate stage:
Ron DeSantis
Lately, the Florida Governor has found himself sparring with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has caught up to him in some polls.
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In particular, DeSantis has argued that he has been tougher on China and slammed her comments about Gaza. The attacks suggest that his status as the most viable Trump alternative is no longer secure. After winning reelection by a resounding 20 points in the Sunshine State last year, Desantis, 45, has continued to face a barrage of criticism for everything from embracing right-wing culture war issues to his choice of footwear. In another blow, one of his home-state senators, Rick Scott, recently backed Trump.
