CNN will host two Republican presidential primary debates next month in Iowa and New Hampshire – states that hold the first contests in the race for the 2024 GOP nomination, the network announced Thursday.
The events will provide Republican voters an opportunity to hear the governing philosophies of the leading candidates seeking to challenge the likely Democratic presidential nominee, President Joe Biden, in November.
The first debate will take place on January 10 at 9 p.m. ET at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, less than a week before Iowa caucusgoers weigh in on the Republican presidential race, and will be moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. The second debate will be held on January 21 in New Hampshire at New England College. The location was originally announced as St. Anselm College.
To qualify for participation in the Iowa debate, candidates must receive at least 10% in three separate national and/or Iowa polls of Republican caucusgoers or primary voters that meet CNN’s standards for reporting, according to the network. One of the three polls must be an approved CNN poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers.
Candidates will be invited to participate in the New Hampshire debate if they receive at least 10% in three separate national and/or New Hampshire polls of Republican primary voters that meet CNN’s standards for reporting. One of the three polls must be an approved CNN poll of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters. Candidates who finish in one of the top three positions in the Iowa caucuses will receive an invitation to participate in the New Hampshire debate.
Former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have hit 10% in at least three qualifying polls, including one of likely caucusgoers in Iowa. DeSantis said December 7 in a post on X that he is “looking forward to debating in Iowa!” Haley on December 15 accepted CNN’s invitation to debate in Iowa and called on Trump to do the same.
The qualifying window for the Iowa debate closes on January 2 and the New Hampshire debate qualifying period ends on January 16.
According to the network, in each debate, candidates must also meet the definition of a “natural-born citizen,” as well as age and residential requirements as defined by Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, file a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission and agree to accept the rules and format of the debate.
To determine polling eligibility in Iowa, only polling data collected from surveys that began no earlier than October 15, and released no later than 12:05 p.m. ET on January 2, will be considered.
In New Hampshire, only polling data collected from surveys that began no earlier than November 1, and released no later than 12:05 p.m. ET on January 16, will be considered.
Poll results reported with a decimal place will not be rounded up or down in either case.
National and state polling shows that Trump holds a commanding lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. But a handful of Republican candidates are battling to be the alternative to Trump.
The Republican National Committee said Friday that candidates are free to participate in any forum or debate of their choosing during January, freeing them from a previous requirement that prevented them from participating in non-RNC-sanctioned debates.
“We have held four successful debates across the country with the most conservative partners in the history of a Republican primary. We have no RNC debates scheduled in January and any debates currently scheduled are not affiliated with the RNC,” the RNC’s Committee on Presidential Debates said in a statement. “It is now time for Republican primary voters to decide who will be our next President and candidates are free to use any forum or format to communicate to voters as they see fit.”
ABC News and WMUR-TV will also hold a Republican presidential primary debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, days after the Iowa caucuses. The debate, in coordination with the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, will be held at Saint Anselm College on January 18.
Read the full CNN debate criteria below.
To receive an invitation for the January 10, 2024, CNN Republican Presidential Primary Debate, a candidate must:
• Fulfill the requirements outlined in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States.
• File a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.
• Achieve at least 10% (without rounding) in three separate national and/or Iowa polls of Republican caucusgoers or primary voters that meet CNN’s standards for reporting. One of the three qualifying polls must be an approved poll of Iowa likely Republican caucusgoers.
• Agree to accept the rules and format of the debate.
Recognized polls:
To determine eligibility, only polling data collected from surveys that began no earlier than October 15, 2023, and released no later than 12:05 p.m. ET on January 2, 2024, will be considered. Poll results reported with a decimal place will not be rounded up or down.
To receive an invitation for the January 21, 2024, CNN Republican Presidential Primary Debate, a candidate must:
• Fulfill the requirements outlined in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States.
• File a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.
• Achieve at least 10% (without rounding) in three separate national and/or New Hampshire polls of Republican primary voters that meet CNN’s standards for reporting. One of the three qualifying polls must be an approved poll of New Hampshire Republican likely primary voters.
• A candidate who finishes in the top three positions of the Iowa caucuses will receive an invitation to participate in the New Hampshire debate.
• Agree to accept the rules and format of the debate.
Recognized polls:
To determine eligibility, only polling data collected from surveys that began no earlier than November 1, 2023, and released no later than 12:05 p.m. ET on January 16, 2024, will be considered. Poll results reported with a decimal place will not be rounded up or down.
Polls that meet CNN’s standards for reporting and have been released during the qualifying period that would count thus far for determining candidate eligibility include: CNN, CNN/University of New Hampshire, Fox News, Marquette University Law School, Monmouth University, Monmouth University/The Washington Post, NBC News, NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom, and Quinnipiac University. Other polls that meet CNN’s standards for reporting and have recently surveyed on the race for the Republican nomination but were not conducted during the qualifying period include: CBS News/YouGov, Marist College, The New York Times/Siena College, the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post/ABC News.
This story has been updated with additional details about the debate locations and candidate participation.