The Republican National Committee (RNC) released some scant details surrounding the first officially sanctioned debate of the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
While the information is rather thin right now other than the debate taking place in August of 2023, here are the details we know and some of the details we can surmise.
When is the first 2024 Republican primary debate scheduled?
The debate is set to take place in August of 2023 but few other details have been provided in terms of an exact date and time. The most likely time period would be within the last week of August based on using the previous cycle in 2016 as a guide.
Where will the first 2024 Republican primary debate be held?
Following the tradition of previous cycles, the city that hosts the Republican National Convention will also enjoy the privilege of hosting the first primary debate. In this case, it’s the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A specific venue hasn’t yet been named but there are venues in the city that have held GOP primary debates in the past.
Previously, in 2015, the Milwaukee Theatre in downtown Milwaukee was the site of a Republican Primary Debate sponsored by the Fox Business Network. It’s possible that this venue again could host the first 2024 debate as well though no official venue has been named.
Who will moderate the first 2024 Republican primary debate?
Once again, the details are sparse. The answer to this question will depend on which network or media partner is selected to host the first debate. If history is a guide, the first debate might be sponsored by the Fox News Channel as was the infamous case in 2016 when Donald Trump was confronted by former Fox host Megyn Kelly.
The RNC has mentioned at least four possible media partners so far for the 2024 cycle. The list includes Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and Newsmax. The RNC also made a point to emphasize that some smaller conservative media outlets, such as the aforementioned Newsmax, would be included in the debate schedule.
Which candidates will participate in the first 2024 Republican primary debate?
With only a small handful of announced candidates so far, the RNC has not released the threshold guidelines for the first 2024 GOP primary debate. Again, with history as a guide, the polling threshold might be 1% or 2% in a mix of national and state polls, similar guidelines to those of 2016.
However, the RNC also said that polls alone will not be the final gatekeeper for access to the debate stage. There will also be a donor threshold and possibly other criteria the RNC will use when determining which candidates will gain a debate invitation to appear before a national audience. The RNC said that these rules would be available “within weeks” so expect more information soon.
How many 2024 Republican primary debates will be scheduled?
So far, the RNC has said they plan to have between 10 and 12 debates starting in August and running up the Republican National Convention in July of 2024. What that basically means is that there could be more or less than that amount depending on how long the primary drags out or how quickly it ends.
If the primary goes into the months of April and May of next year, there might be more debates between just the two or three remaining candidates as was the case in 2016 with Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich.
Where can I follow the 2024 Republican Debate Schedule?
As always, Election Central will keep track of all the scheduled primary debates for both the Republican and Democratic primaries in 2024.
You can follow the 2024 Republican Primary schedule page for all the details on the upcoming GOP primary debates as information becomes available.
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