Everything you need to know about tonight’s Republican presidential debate
When is the next Republican presidential debate?
The next Republican presidential debate is Thursday Feb. 25 in Houston. It’s the last meeting for candidates before the Super Tuesday primaries. CNN returns yet again as the debate host. It will be the 10th debate of the primary.
The debate is held at the University of Houston’s Moores Opera Center, an 800-seat venue set for a run of “Anna Karenina” in early April. The opera house was made “to emulate the acoustic space of an old European opera house.” The Dallas Morning News reported that ticket distribution for the debate has become ultra-competitive this week. The school was guaranteed only 25 tickets, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott chose to raffle off seats to political donors. More than 500 U of H students applied to be ushers and stand-ins at the debate.
What time is the debate?
The debate starts at 8:30 p.m. EST.
How can I watch the debate?
In addition to the CNN broadcast, Telemundo will carry the debate in Spanish. Salem Media Group, a regular CNN debate partner, will handle radio broadcasts of the debate.
Can I watch the debate online?
CNN will stream a live feed of the proceedings on its website.
Who will moderate the debate?
Wolf Blitzer will be the primary moderator. Hugh Hewitt, Dana Bash and Telemundo’s Maria Celeste Arraras will contribute questions. NBC News was scheduled to host this debate before the Republican National Committee stepped in and “canceled its partnership” with the network over a dispute regarding the controversial 2015 CNBC debate. Blitzer moderated a December GOP debate in Las Vegas.
Who will participate?
The five remaining Republican candidates are expected to take the stage: Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson and John Kasich. The field is expected to narrow to three soon after the Tuesday primaries, with Kasich and Carson seen as having no viable path to the nomination.
How did candidates qualify?
Candidates had to get 5 percent support in any of the Iowa and Nevada caucuses or New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, and Tuesday’s Nevada caucuses. Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Carson and Kasich have all cleared this bar.
What’s changed since the last debate?
With Trump winning big in Nevada and South Carolina and Jeb Bush dropping out of the race, the pecking order is clear: Trump is the leader, and Cruz and Rubio are his only realistic chasers. Rubio finished second in South Carolina and in Nevada, and though the Cruz campaign has faced internal conflict this week, he’s still in the top tier.
What role does Texas have in the race?
The Texas primary, which is part of the Super Tuesday group, could help decide how Cruz and Rubio fashion themselves as Trump alternatives. Cruz has a lead in Texas and with a win in his home state can make the case that he remains at the top of the pile. One hundred and fifty-five GOP delegates are at stake in the state’s primary, more than Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada combined. A loss on home turf could spell doom for Cruz, who’s entering Super Tuesday with less buzz than he had hoped for.
Texas is also at the heart of the U.S. immigration controversy and is one of the states along whose border with Mexico Trump has pledged to build a wall.
Has anything else happened in Houston lately?
A local tragedy occurred this week. An 8-year-old, 1.5-ton Masai giraffe fell at the Houston Zoo and had to be euthanized, just a month after a beloved zebra at the zoo passed away. In better news there, the zoo has become a pioneer in sustainable zoo-keeping practices.
When is the next Democratic debate?
The next Democratic debate is on Sunday, March 6, in Flint, Michigan, a city ravaged by lead-contaminated water and a full-blown political crisis. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have turned it into a major cause for Democratic politics in 2016. CNN will host.
When is the next Republican debate?
The next Republican debate is also in Michigan. The candidates will meet in Detroit at the Fox Theater on Thursday, March 3. Fox News will host.