ATLANTA, Sept. 11 (UPI) — CNN on Friday announced the lineup for its Sept. 16 Republican presidential debate, which, after tweaking the selection criteria, will now include businesswoman Carly Fiorina.
The network changed its rules for selecting who will appear in the debate last week in response to a fewer-than-expected number of polls following Fox’s debate Aug. 6. CNN originally planned to feature the top 10 average polling candidates since July 16, but later decided to include any candidates also in the top 10 average of polls conducted after the Aug. 6 debate.
The debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., will feature former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Fiorina, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), real estate executive Donald Trump and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
Lower-polling candidates have been invited to a debate earlier the same day, similar to method Fox used Aug. 6. The earlier debaters include South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former New York Gov. George Pataki, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
Though former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore participated in the earlier debate in August, he did not meet the minimum requirements for the CNN’s debate.
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