Politics

More RNC chairman candidates commit to Daily Caller/ATR debate

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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Almost every candidate running for chairman of the Republican National Committee has committed to participating in a Jan. 3 debate that’s being hosted by The Daily Caller and Americans for Tax Reform.

Former Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis, former Bush administration official Maria Cino, Wisconsin GOP chairman Reince Priebus, former RNC political director Gentry Collins and former Missouri committeewoman Ann Wagner have all said they will participate in the forum at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., organizers say.

Current RNC Chairman Michael Steele — who only announced he was running for re-election on Monday — has not yet confirmed his attendance in the debate.

Daily Caller publisher Neil Patel said the debate will be both “fair” and “tough.” It will also be the most “technologically advanced debate ever conducted,” he said.

Audience participation will feature prominently in this year’s debate, as questions used during the debate will come from those submitted and voted on at RNCDebate.org.

Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, and Daily Caller editor-in-chief Tucker Carlson will question the candidates at the debate, which will be live-streamed at dailycaller.com. Follow-up questions will come from users on Twitter.

Patel elaborated: “The combination of online voting on debate questions, live streaming of the event and Twitter use for follow-up questions will allow the American people an unprecedented level of access and involvement to help ensure the best possible leadership for one of our two major political parties.”

Profiles of each candidate will be published on TheDC during the run-up to the debate.

The Susan B. Anthony List has also signed on to the debate as a sponsor.