COLUMBIA, S.C. (NEWSnet/AP) — Some Republican presidential candidates haven't met polling and fundraising thresholds for the first debate of the 2024 cycle, and the qualifications for making it to the second one will be even higher.

The second debate is slated for Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Candidates taking that stage will need at least 3% in two national polls or will need 3% in one national poll as well as two polls from four of the early-voting states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — a person familiar with the markers set by the Republican National Committee told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The White House hopefuls must also have at least 50,000 unique donors, with at least 200 of those coming from 20 states or territories, according to the person, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the qualifications. The new thresholds were first reported by Politico.

All of the requirements must be met at least two days before the debate, the person said.

These are stricter requirements than the first debate, scheduled for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee; and about half of the GOP list has yet to make even that stage.

So far, seven candidates have qualified for the first debate: former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Another requirement to participate in RNC debates is that candidates pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee and also not to take part in any debates not sanctioned by the party, which include the general election debate sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

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