WASHINGTON (AP) – The jam-packed Republican presidential field will shrink considerably for the first formal debate of the 2016 primary season when Fox News announces Tuesday which 10 presidential hopefuls will participate.
The exclusive club will feature notable omissions.
All but three of the 17 major Republican candidates for president participated in a New Hampshire forum Monday night that what was essentially a debate warmup. Only the GOP’s top 10 candidates – based on national polls – will be allowed in Thursday’s nationally televised debate in Cleveland.
Billionaire businessman Donald Trump’s place is assured given his rise in recent polls, but several high-profile Republicans are on the bubble.
They include the party’s only female presidential candidate – former technology executive Carly Fiorina – Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.