Three debates for next year’s general presidential election are scheduled to take place in college towns in Texas, Virginia and Utah between September 16 and October 9, with the only vice presidential debate taking place between -time in Pennsylvania – although it remains to be seen whether the Republican nominee will attend.
The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday that the presidential candidates will first meet Sept. 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, south of Austin. The vice presidential debate is scheduled for nine days later at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Presidential debates scheduled at Virginia State University in Petersburg on Oct. 1 and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Oct. 9 round out the schedule ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5.
“The general election debates in the United States, watched live around the world, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see the major candidates address serious issues in a fair and neutral,” said CPD co-chairs Frank Fahrenkopf and Antonia Hernández. in a report. “This tradition has remained unbroken since 1976. In 2024, students at our four debate sites will help bring another series of historic conversations to audiences here and abroad. And their campuses will offer four unique opportunities to listen and learn.
The nonprofit CPD was established in 1987 and has sponsored every presidential and vice-presidential general election debate since then. It receives no federal funding or financial support from any political party or campaign.
The announcement comes as the Republican National Committee considers rule changes that would require candidates for the party’s nomination to sign a pledge saying they would not participate in any CPD-sponsored debates.
Such a boycott would shake the foundations of how presidential elections have been conducted in the country for decades – even though former President Donald Trump’s refusal to participate in primary debates as he sought his party’s 2024 nomination makes such changes perhaps easier to imagine.
The RNC’s threat not to participate comes after years of tension between the RNC and the commission, exacerbated by Asset. As chairman, he repeatedly accused the commission of unfair treatment and ultimately refused to participate in the second debate of 2020 after objecting to holding it virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter to the commission last year, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel expressed frustration with its response to several party complaints, including concerns about the selection of moderators, the desire for a debate before the start of early voting and a push for changes to the commission’s board.
The commission responded to the letter by saying in a statement that it dealt directly with candidates qualified to participate in its debates, rather than with the national leadership of each party.
“CPD’s plans for 2024 will be based on fairness, neutrality and a strong commitment to helping the American public learn about the candidates and the issues,” he said at the time.
The RNC did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The national Democratic Party did not clash with the commission. Always like he’s running for re-election, President Joe Biden’s campaign has not yet indicated whether he will debate Trump.
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