IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Fox Announces 10 Candidates for Thursday's Prime-Time Debate

The wait is over.
Get more newsLiveon

The first primetime debate of the Republican primary race on Thursday will include ten candidates, according to Fox News: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich.

Fox, which is hosting the debate in Cleveland, Ohio, announced the list of the top 10 candidates based on recent national polling on air at 6pm ET Tuesday.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who earlier last week was at risk of missing the cut for the primetime debate in his home state, made the cut at the 10th spot, edging out former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Candidates that did not make the cut will participate in a separate debate earlier on Thursday. Those Republicans are: Perry, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Jim Gilmore and George Pataki.

The network used the average of five recent national polls to calculate the top 10 candidates. Those polls were conducted by Quinnipiac University, Monmouth University, CBS News, Fox News and Bloomberg.

In June, the network announced that candidates making their primetime primary debate "must place in the top 10 of an average of the five most recent national polls, as recognized by Fox News leading up to August 4th at 5 PM/ET. Such polling must be conducted by major, nationally recognized organizations that use standard methodological techniques."

In a statement, RNC chairman Reince Preibus said: "Our field is the biggest and most diverse of any party in history and I am glad to see that every one of those extremely qualified candidates will have the opportunity to participate on Thursday evening. Republicans across the country will be able to choose which candidate has earned their support after hearing them talk through the issues."