The Republican National Committee (RNC) is implementing stricter debate requirements for the second GOP presidential debate next month, with heightened polling and donation thresholds.
Politico first reported, “candidates will need to hit at least 3 percent in two national polls, or 3 percent in one national poll and 3 percent in two polls conducted from separate early nominating states,” on Tuesday.
Polling requirements for the first debate are softer. A candidate must muster at least one percent in three national polls or secure one percent in two national polls and one percent “in one early state poll from two separate ‘carve out’ states (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina),” the RNC notes.
While the donor threshold for the first debate is 40,000, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel acknowledged while speaking with Fox News’s America’s Newsroom on Wednesday that it would be raised to 50,000 for the second debate in Simi Valley, California, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
To compete in the first debate, a candidate must also sign a pledge not to participate in “any non-RNC sanctioned debate,” in addition to backing the party’s eventual nominee. Politico notes that the same rules will apply for the second showdown.
While some candidates have griped about the criteria for the first debate, McDaniel said Wednesday the more stringent mandates would reward those with momentum:
We should be stepping up the criteria. Once you get on that debate stage and you get in front of the American people, if you’re not having momentum, if you’re not showing growth in your campaign, then that’s a problem and we need to make sure that we are putting in front of the Republican primary voters the candidate who’s going to take on Joe Biden.
“You don’t go to the Olympics unless you pass the prelims, right? This is the Olympic stage of the Republican Party primary, and there’s going to be criteria that you have to meet to be on that stage,” she added.
Thus far, seven candidates have met donor and polling qualifications for the first debate, including Former President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) and former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ).
Former Vice President Mike Pence has reached the polling threshold, though he is still shy of 40,000 unique donors. His campaign manager, Steve DeMaura, announced his confidence Wednesday that Pence will be on both stages, as he has eclipsed 30,000 donors and is currently averaging more than 1,000 per day.
Candidates have until 48 hours before both debates to prove they meet the requirements.
