GOP Presidential Candidates Left Out of Primary Debate Threaten Legal Action
Only eight candidates qualified for Wednesday’s GOP presidential primary debate, according to the Republican National Committee (RNC). However, the candidates left out of the debate are not going down without a fight. Some have threatened legal action and vowed to stay in the race.
Larry Elder, a right-wing radio show host who ran for governor of California in 2021, announced his intention to sue the RNC to halt the presidential debate. Michigan businessman Perry Johnson also said he planned to sue. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the RNC’s debate requirements.
The candidates who were left out had strongly criticized the RNC’s criteria for the debate, which included a donor threshold of 40,000 unique donors and a polling threshold of 1% in a combination of four national or early primary state polls. They argue that the RNC was not clear about which polls counted toward the threshold, leading to confusion.
The RNC defended its selection process, stating that they worked over two years to deliver a transparent and fair primary process. They claim that the criteria for qualifying for the debate were clearly presented to the campaigns and that they were in constant communication with the candidates and campaigns throughout the qualifying period.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and other candidates who did make the stage also expressed their concerns about the lack of transparency in the RNC’s process. However, the cases made by the excluded candidates had serious holes, according to a source familiar with the RNC’s process. While they may have reached the donor threshold, the polls they relied on did not meet the committee’s requirements.
Larry Elder accused the RNC of excluding polls from Rasmussen Reports, a right-leaning firm, because of their affiliation with Trump. However, the source familiar with the RNC’s process stated that the issue was not the firm but the polls themselves. The RNC does not count polls affiliated with candidate committees towards the polling threshold.
Michigan businessman Perry Johnson qualified in three polls but fell short in a fourth poll that did not meet the RNC’s standards. Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez missed the threshold due to polls that did not survey enough likely GOP voters.
The excluded candidates, along with Johnson and Elder, have expressed their disappointment with the RNC’s process and plan to take legal action. Elder hopes to get a court to delay the debate, while Johnson has called for the resignation of David Bossie, a Trump campaign alumnus who serves with the RNC.
Despite their exclusion from the debate, the candidates are determined to stay in the race and continue their campaigns. The RNC has not commented on the possible legal challenges but stands by its selection process.
Overall, the RNC’s debate requirements have sparked controversy and dissatisfaction among the candidates, leading to threats of legal action and a lack of transparency in the process. The excluded candidates are determined to fight for their place in the race and challenge the RNC’s decisions.
Original Story at www.ny1.com – 2023-08-22 23:00:00
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