Republicans prepare to meet tonight in Des Moines, Iowa for the party’s seventh prime-time debate of the 2016 Presidential Race. The leading candidates debate will begin at 9:00 PM EST, while the undercard candidates are set for 7:00 PM EST. Tonight’s debates will be televised on Fox News Channel, and will also be streamed live at FoxNews.com. Fox anchors Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly, and Chris Wallace will moderate the prime time presidential debate. Martha MacCallum and Bill Hemmer will moderate the secondary event.
Debate Participants
Tonight’s prime-time debate participants will be:
- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas
- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida
- Retired neurosurgen Ben Carson
- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
- Ohio Gov. John Kasich
- U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky
Secondary Debate Participants will be:
- Businesswoman Carly Fiorina
- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
- Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania
- Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore
On Tuesday, Donald Trump announced that he would not participate in the debate. Trump has been pressing Fox Network to remove Megyn Kelly as one of the event’s moderators; Fox since has refused his request.
5 Things to Watch for in GOP Debate, Even Without Donald Trump (LA Times)
12 Things to Watch for in the Iowa GOP Debate (USA Today)
Candidates in GOP Debate Look to Step Up, Without Trump Distraction (Fox News)
Ronny Lau, Legislative Policy Advisor, Center for Advocacy, Policy, and Constituency Engagement, January 28, 2016. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)
