Pence says he’s now met the polling and donor qualifications for the first Republican debate

By MEG KINNARD
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence says he has qualified for the first Republican debate of the 2024 cycle. He announced Tuesday that he had secured the requisite number of donors just two weeks before the debate in Milwaukee. Pence is the eighth candidate to qualify for the leadoff debate on Aug. 23. Former President Donald Trump is the current GOP front-runner but hasn’t said if he’ll participate and has floated the idea of holding a competing event of his own. Other qualified candidates are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.