This Wednesday, Nov. 8, contenders for the Republican presidential nomination will converge in the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, for the third Republican primary debate. Yet, two months before the first state chooses their choice for the nomination in the January Iowa caucuses, a large crowd of contenders still remains on the field. Who will be present on the stage this Wednesday?
Ron DeSantis
Governor of Florida Ron Desantis is the runner-up in terms of support in the Republican primary field. According to a 538 polling aggregate, as of Nov. 2, DeSantis has the support of 14% of Republican voters nationally. DeSantis built a national profile as Governor through his tough stances on what he calls “woke” issues and in his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Desantis, Florida was one of the first states to reopen schools during the pandemic and has enacted laws, including a ban on instruction of LGBTQ issues in public schools in Florida. DeSantis has qualified for all three of the Republican debates so far.
Nikki Haley
A former Governor of South Carolina and United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has called for a new generation of leadership for Republicans. Haley has focused on economic responsibility and leaned on her foreign policy experience during her campaign. According to a 538 polling aggregate, as of Nov. 2, Haley has the support of 7.7% of Republican voters nationally. Haley has attended the first two Republican debates and has qualified for the debate in Miami this Wednesday.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Entrepreneur and relative political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy holds strong positions on several right-wing issues. Ramaswamy supports abolishing several federal agencies, ending military aid to Ukraine, and has called abortion a “form of murder.” Ramaswamy has qualified for all three Republican debates so far. According to a 538 polling aggregate, as of Nov. 2, Ramaswamy has the support of 4.9% of Republican voters nationally.
Chris Christie
The Former Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, has been a vocal critic of Former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary. He has stated that if “[Trump] is the nominee, it’s going to be a disaster for the Republican party,” and has predicted that Trump would be criminally convicted. Despite struggling in national polls, where polling aggregates have placed him at 2.4%, Christie has been polling higher in the early primary state of New Hampshire. Christie has qualified for every Republican thus far.
Tim Scott
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott has taken mainstream Republican stances on issues such as immigration, taken a hard line on unions, and made faith an important part of his message. His campaign events often reference scripture, and he said as president, he would “break the back of teachers’ unions.” In recent weeks, Scott has reallocated significant campaign resources as he has struggled to gain traction nationally. According to a 538 polling aggregate, as of Nov. 2, Scott has the support of 1.6% of Republican voters nationally. Scott has qualified for all 3 Republican debates to date.
Notable Mentions
Some declared candidates for the Republican nomination will not be on the debate stage this Wednesday, having failed to meet the qualification requirements or refusing to attend.
Donald J. Trump
Former President Donald Trump is by far the leading contender for the Republican nomination. Recent polling aggregates have Trump leading the field at 58.3%. This is despite the fact that Trump has not appeared in either of the two Republican debates that have been held so far, writing on his social media app Truth Social, “The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had.” However, Trump has recently found himself mired in legal troubles that threaten to disturb his campaign. He is currently a defendant in multiple trials, with cases against him ranging from a “tax fraud scheme” to “overthrowing the 2020 presidential election.” One case in particular is challenging whether Trump can even run for office, claiming that he may have participated in an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. It still has not been ruled whether the event was an insurrection or not.
Doug Burgum, Asa Hutchinson, Ryan Binkley
These presidential hopefuls encompass a variety of views on policy issues but, as of Nov. 2, have failed to qualify for the most recent Republican debate. Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgham qualified for the previous two debates, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson qualified for the first debate. According to polling aggregates, Governor Burgham is polling at 0.8%, and Former Governor Hutchinson is polling at 0.5%. Ryan Binkley, a businessman and pastor, has failed to qualify for any of the three debates.
