Former Vice President Mike Pence and Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson Qualify for First Republican Presidential Primary Debate in August

Former Vice President Mike Pence and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have both hit the polling thresholds to qualify for the first Republican presidential primary debate in August. On Sunday, seven GOP hopefuls took their turn on stage in front of about 800 party activists in Iowa, all invited to speak at Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson’s fundraising barbecue at a Cedar Rapids racetrack.

The candidates made their pitches to challenge President Donald Trump for the 2024 nomination, but the former president’s indictment Tuesday on federal charges accusing him of working to overturn the 2020 election results was completely ignored. Candidates must hit the minimum threshold of 40,000 unique donors and the polling thresholds 48 hours prior to the debate, and also commit to supporting the eventual GOP nominee.

The seven candidates in attendance included former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, and former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich. Each candidate spoke for about 15 minutes, discussing their vision for the future of the Republican party and their plans to unify the party.

The debate will be the first opportunity for the candidates to make their case to the American people, and the first chance to see how the candidates stack up against each other. With just two weeks left to qualify for the debate, the candidates are sure to be working hard to make sure they make the cut.