Two GOP presidential debates are set for Iowa and New Hampshire in January before voting begins

Two Republican primary debates are scheduled to take place in January, shortly before the respective GOP nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. CNN has announced its hosting of these events, with the first debate set for January 10 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, just five days ahead of the state’s pivotal caucuses. The second debate will be held on January 21 at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire, just two days before the state’s leadoff primary.

This announcement follows a recent GOP debate that featured Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Notably, former President Donald Trump, who is the leading contender for the 2024 GOP nomination, has yet to participate in any debates and has indicated he does not intend to do so.

Keith Schipper, the Communications Director for the Republican National Committee (RNC), clarified that the CNN-hosted debates are not officially sanctioned by the RNC. However, discussions are ongoing within the RNC’s Debates Committee regarding the possibility of allowing candidates to participate in unsanctioned debates, though a decision has not been reached at this time. The source providing this information requested anonymity when speaking to The Big Big News.

The criteria for candidates to qualify for these debates have become more stringent. To participate in the Iowa debate, candidates must garner at least 10% support in three separate polls, either on a national scale or within Iowa. Candidates who achieve a top-three finish in the Iowa caucuses will receive invitations to the New Hampshire debate. Additionally, candidates can qualify by meeting CNN’s polling requirements, which include a 10% polling threshold in New Hampshire. Importantly, one of the three required polls must be conducted and approved by CNN from the respective state. Unlike previous RNC-sanctioned debates, candidates are not obligated to meet specific fundraising thresholds based on the number of donors.

The qualification window for the Iowa debate closes on January 2, while for the New Hampshire debate, it ends on January 16.

For more information, you can contact Meg Kinnard at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.

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More about Republican Debates

• CNN’s Announcement of GOP Debates
• Information on Recent GOP Debate Participants
• Republican National Committee (RNC) Statement
• Qualification Criteria for GOP Debates
• Debates Committee Discussions
• More about Meg Kinnard