The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the dates and locations Monday for its three general election debates in the fall of 2024, as well as one for the vice presidential candidates.
The first presidential debate will take place on Sept. 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, according to a CPD news release.
That will be followed by a vice presidential debate on Sept. 25 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, the release said.
The second and third presidential debates will be held on Oct. 1 and Oct. 9, with the former occurring at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, and the latter at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
“The United States’ general election debates, watched live worldwide, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see leading candidates address serious issues in a fair and neutral setting,” Frank Fahrenkopf and Antonia Hernández, the co-chairs of the CPD, said in a joint statement.
“This tradition remains unbroken since 1976,” they said. “In 2024, students at our four debate sites will help bring another set of historic conversations to audiences here and abroad. And their campuses will anchor four unique chances to listen and learn.”
Fahrenkopf and Hernández added, “We are deeply grateful to the University of Utah for hosting its second general election debate, to Lafayette College and Texas State University for the first CPD debates in Pennsylvania and Texas, and to Virginia State University for the first debate ever held at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).”
We are honored to welcome @txst, @LafCol, @VSU_1882, @UUtah, our hosts for the 2024 general election debates. Full release: https://t.co/1bqf1ANS2z
— CPD (@debates) November 20, 2023
The RealClearPolitics polling averages for the 2024 national Republican and Democratic primaries indicate former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are leading their respective fields with 58.9 percent and 72 percent support, respectively.
Will any of the debates be held in your state?
Yes: 22% (11 Votes)
No: 78% (39 Votes)
The Republican primary field has narrowed significantly, with South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence most recently withdrawing their candidacies after Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson and conservative radio personality Larry Elder dropped out.
Along with Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are still in the running for the GOP nomination.
DeSantis remains the closest to Trump in the RCP averages with 14.4 percent, followed by Haley at 10.7 percent. All the others have less than 5 percent.
Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became an independent, the only Democrats challenging Biden in the Democratic primary are self-help author Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota.
Williamson has 7.8 percent and Phillips 4.8 percent in the RCP polling averages.
In July 2024, the Republican National Committee will hold its convention in Milwaukee to determine the GOP nominee, while the Democratic National Committee’s convention will take place in August in Chicago.
While the DNC isn’t holding primary debates, the RNC has already held three — all of which Trump has skipped — with the fourth scheduled for Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
GOP candidates will have to meet the committee’s upped debate requirements — including increased donor and polling thresholds — to make the stage.
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