On Wednesday night, eight Republican candidates will participate in a live television debate to compete for their party’s nomination in the 2024 election.
The debate, which is scheduled to be aired at 9 p.m. EDT, will be hosted by Fox News, and will be held in Milwaukee, Wisc.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is eying a return to the White House, is skipping the debate in favor of an online interview with conservative media personality Tucker Carlson, according to the Associated Press.
Here is a breakdown of his competition.
Vivek Ramaswamy, speaking at CPAC in Dallas, Texas in 2022.
Name: Vivek Ramaswamy
Age: 38
Occupation: Tech entrepreneur
What to Know: Ramaswamy is a political newcomer with no previous experience in office, according to the Washington Post. A biotech entrepreneur, he launched his business, Roivant Sciences, in 2014, which focuses on reviving unwanted drugs from larger pharmaceutical companies, the newspaper reported.
A son of Indian immigrants, Ramaswamy has not been shy about attacking political correctness. One of his three books is called “Woke Inc: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam.” The book takes aim at corporate diversity and equity policies, according to the Post.
FILE – Republican presidential candidate former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks during the Faith and Freedom Coalition Policy Conference in Friday, June 23, 2023. Seven weeks before the premiere debate of the 2024 GOP primary, anxiety is building that the event could prove messy and divisive for the party. Some, like Hutchinson, are struggling to meet fundraising and polling requirement to make it onstage. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)AP
Name: Asa Hutchinson
Age: 72
Occupation: Former governor of Arkansas
What to Know: A Reagan Republican who served as Arkansas’ governor from 2015 to 2023, Hutchinson is a political veteran. He’s a former federal prosecutor; a one-time chair of the Arkansas’ GOP; represented Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District from 1997 to 2001, where he was a Republican impeachment manager in the trial of fellow Arkansasn Bill Clinton, and served in positions in the administration of former President George W. Bush.
Hutchinson made headlines earlier this month when he declared that Trump might be disqualified from serving again, citing the 14th Amendment, according to The Hill, a publication that covers Congress.
FILE – In this April 10, 2020, file photo, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum speaks at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D. Hospitalizations from COVID-19 have hit their highest points recently throughout the Midwest, where the growth in new cases has been the worst in the nation. Doug Burgum, North Dakota’s Republican governor, acknowledges his state’s numbers are moving in the wrong direction as it hit new highs for active and newly confirmed cases, as well as hospitalizations. But he’s also touting the state’s test positivity staying in the 7% range.(Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP, File)AP
Name: Doug Burgum
Age: 67
Occupation: Governor of North Dakota
What to Know: Burgumwas elected North Dakota’s governor in 2016, in an upset win. He had never held elected office prior to that victory, the New York Times reported. He is the wealthy founder of Great Plains Software, which he sold to Microsoft in 2011 for roughly $1.1 billion, the newspaper reported.
As governor, Burgum has signed into law at least eight bills sent to him by the state Legislature targeting transgender or gender-nonconforming people – which is more than almost any other state in what already is an unprecedented year for such legislation, the newspaper reported.
FILE – Republican presidential candidate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during a gathering, June 6, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)AP
Name: Chris Christie
Age: 60
Occupation: Former governor of New Jersey
What to Know: Christie, a former federal prosecutor, unsuccessfully sought the GOP presidential nod in 2016. He dropped out of the race after the New Hampshire primary, where he put up poor numbers.
Notably among the 2024 GOP primary pack, Christie has not been shy about attacking Trump, telling NewsMax that he would have prosecuted Trump over his mishandling of classified documents and his attempts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.
“Donald Trump will have to rise or fall based upon the proofs that are presented at his trial,” Christie told the cable news outlet, when he was asked about the prospect of a pardon if elected. “Now, if I felt like a trial was unfair, then I would consider it.”
Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference at the Celebrate Freedom Foundation Hangar in West Columbia, S.C. July 18, 2023. For DeSantis, Tuesday was supposed to mark a major moment to help reset his stagnant Republican presidential campaign. But yet again, the moment was overshadowed by Donald Trump. The former president was the overwhelming focus for much of the day as DeSantis spoke out at a press conference and sat for a highly anticipated interview designed to reassure anxious donors and primary voters that he’s still well-positioned to defeat Trump.(AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
Name: Ron DeSantis
Age: 44
Occupation: Governor of Florida
Known for his far-right conservative policies, DeSantis has gained national attention for his opposition to “woke-ism” and government overreach. The Republican pol has signed legislation that’s limited discussions around race and queer identities in schools, opposed COVID-19 restrictions, and has proposed a sweeping crackdown on undocumented immigrants. While his presidential bid was initially praised, DeSantis has been losing favorability in polls for months.
Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to local residents during a meet and greet, Tuesday, May 23, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)AP
Name: Mike Pence
Age: 64
Occupation: Former vice president of the United States
The former veep already has a well-established national profile. A prominent conservative figure, Pence was often the voice of America’s white Christian evangelicals during his time in office with Trump. But, his decision to honor the results of the 2020 election amid the false claims of election fraud has created a deep rift between him and the MAGA base – one that has yet to be sutured.
FILE – Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley smiles while taking a question from the audience during a campaign event May 24, 2023, in Bedford, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)AP
Name: Nikki Haley
Age: 52
Occupation: Former governor of South Carolina and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
Haley was the first candidate to jump into the GOP primary field. The former Palmetto State chief executive and onetime diplomat brings both national and international experience to the main stage.
As governor, she was praised for her leadership in helping her state heal in the aftermath of the Charleston church shooting in 2015, which left nine Black people dead. She also used her platform as an ambassador to rally international support for tougher sanctions and diplomatic measures against Iran and North Korea. Despite her accomplishments, some predict that Haley’s political presence will be suffocated by Trump and DeSantis.
FILE – Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks during a town hall, May 8, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)AP
Name: Tim Scott
Age: 57
Occupation: U.S. senator from South Carolina
As the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, Scott has made a name for himself as his party’s key voice on racial issues. The South Carolina lawmaker has said that he rejects the notion that America is inherently racist, by sharing his own personal accomplishments in politics as a Black man. At the same time, he’s also shared personal anecdotes of the frustration he’s felt by being pulled over by police.
His campaign, which focuses on a more optimistic version of America – compared to Trump and DeSantis’ doom-and-gloom perspective – has set him up to be one of the Senate GOP’s more successful fundraisers. However, Scott hailing from the same state as Haley could pit the two candidates in a heavy rivalry, especially during primary season.
