The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced the dates and locations Monday for its three general election debates in the Fall of 2024, as well as one for the vice presidential candidates.
The first presidential debate will take place on Sept. 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, followed by a vice presidential debate on Sept. 25 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, according to a press release. The second and third presidential debates will be held on Oct. 1 and Oct. 9, with the former occurring at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, and the latter at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. (RELATED: Republicans Hope Fourth RNC Debate With Conservative Hosts, Moderators Will Deliver For Base Voters)
“The United States’ general election debates, watched live worldwide, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see leading candidates address serious issues in a fair and neutral setting,” Frank Fahrenkopf and Antonia Hernández, the co-chairs of the CPD, said in a joint statement. “This tradition remains unbroken since 1976. In 2024, students at our four debate sites will help bring another set of historic conversations to audiences here and abroad. And their campuses will anchor four unique chances to listen and learn.”
“We are deeply grateful to the University of Utah for hosting its second general election debate, to Lafayette College and Texas State University for the first CPD debates in Pennsylvania and Texas, and to Virginia State University for the first debate ever held at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU),” the co-chairs added.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – OCTOBER 22: U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University. (Jim Bourg-Pool/Getty Images)
The RealClearPolitics average for a 2024 national Republican and Democratic primary, based on the most recent polling, indicates former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are leading their respective fields with 58.9% and 72% support, respectively.
The Republican primary field has narrowed significantly, with South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence most recently withdrawing their candidacies after Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson and conservative radio personality Larry Elder dropped out.
Along with Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are still in the running for the GOP nomination.
Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became an independent, the only Democrats challenging Biden in the Democratic primary are Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help author Marianne Williamson.
In July 2024, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is holding its convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to determine the GOP nominee, while the Democratic National Committee‘s (DNC’s) will take place in August in Chicago, Illinois.
While the DNC isn’t holding primary debates, the RNC has already held three — all of which Trump has skipped — with the fourth scheduled for Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. GOP candidates will have to meet the committee’s upped debate requirements to make the stage, including increased donor and polling thresholds.
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