The Republican National Committee (RNC) decided on Thursday that the first primary debate ahead of the 2024 presidential election will be held in Milwaukee in August, The New York Times first reported.
The debate will occur in the same city where the 2024 Republican National Convention is set to be held. Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said that the first debate’s criteria had not been decided yet, and no other RNC debates have yet been sanctioned, according to The Washington Post.
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“We have a long way to go, but I am confident we will be able to showcase our eventual nominee in a world-class fashion,” McDaniel said in an email to RNC committee members, the Post reports.
An RNC spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Following concerns about the party’s disunity, McDaniel previously said she plans to have all candidates pledge their support to the party’s eventual nominee to be able to participate in the primary debate. But many Republican contenders, including former President Donald Trump, have pushed back on the decision.
The party currently has two major candidates for the 2024 election. Trump, who lost to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, announced in November that he would run again. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) announced her plans to enter the race earlier this month. During the Trump administration, Haley previously served as a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Other GOP leaders have hinted at throwing their hats in the ring for the 2024 presidential election, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Meanwhile, no Democrats have announced an official 2024 presidential bid.
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Biden has expressed interest in seeking re-election, but no official announcement has been made. However, Vice President Kamala Harris said last week that she expects Biden will run for re-election and that she will join him as his running mate.
