WASHINGTON — All eyes will be on the field of Republican presidential candidates as they hit the stage for the second GOP primary debate next week at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute – but not every presidential hopeful will be on stage.
The requirements for the second debate in in Simi Valley, California, have a higher threshold than the first event. Candidates must have a minimum of 50,000 unique donors and poll at least 3% in two national polls or 3% in one national poll and 3% in one early state poll from two “carve out” states recognized by the Republican National Committee.
They must also have signed the “Beat Biden” pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee, even if it’s one of their political rivals. The deadline to qualify for the debate is Sept. 25.
Six candidates will likely hit the stage in California – a dip from the eight who qualified for the first GOP debate in Wisconsin last month.
GOP frontrunner and former President Donald Trump said he would skip the debates, citing his large lead in polls. He instead plans to visit the Detroit area to speak with striking auto workers.
Here’s who’s’ expected to appear at the debate next week.
Who has qualified for the second GOP debate?
So far, six candidates appear to have qualified for the second debate:
During the upcoming debate, Republican voters will likely be watching to see whether candidates boost their prior debate performance, or avoid traps from the last event.
For example, DeSantis didn’t take swings at Trump during the first debate, but he could take aim at the Republican frontrunner next week.
Ramaswamy is also expected to be center stage again over his lack of political experience and recent controversial comments on Ukraine aid, ending H-1B visas and more. He is likely to have back and forth skirmishes with Pence, who has called for more traditional conservatism and has repeatedly said “this no time for on the job training.”
With Haley surpassing Pence in some national polls after her performance during the first GOP debate, she will likely face more attacks from her rivals in the upcoming event. A recent poll from CNN found that Haley would have the best chance of beating Biden in a hypothetical match-up.
Scott, who didn’t have a breakout moment at the first debate, is seeking a placement change on stage, according to Axios, likely trying to garner more buzz with his performance. Christie is expected to bring his anti-Trump perspective to the stage while also relying on his experience as a former prosecutor to talk about Trump’s indictments.
Who hasn’t qualified for a spot on stage?
The two candidates who don’t appear to have qualified yet are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Burgum said he is “fully confident” he will qualify for the second debate in an interview last month. While he has met the donor threshold, he may still need to clear polling hurdles.
He has 0.2% of support in Republican primary polls, according to an average calculated by Real Clear Politics. However, a Politico analysis found that Burgum has reached at least 3% in one state poll.
Meanwhile, Hutchinson said in an interview with KHBS-TV that he is close to making the second debate.
“My goodness, I think we had almost 4,000 new donors just on the night of the debate from all over the country,” he said, referring to the first GOP debate. He also said he made three percent in one national poll and he’s going to keep “marching on.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here are the Republican candidates who made the second GOP debate
