Shake-up in GOP debate lineup
The eleven Republican candidates leading the field will participate in the second main GOP debate on Sept. 16 at 8pm, debate host CNN announced Thursday.
This time Carly Fiorina joins the ten who participated in the first debate: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, John Kasich and Chris Christie.
Fiorina had been relegated to the second tier in the first debate, hosted by Fox News, but after a strong performance, her standing in the polls rose.
In the polls considered by CNN to determine the standing of the candidates, Fiorina tied with Huckabee for seventh place - both had an average of 4.4 percent support in polls taken after the Aug. 6 debate, and released by Sept. 10. They finished above Paul, Kasich and Christie. Fiorina is the only candidate to move from the second to the first tier.
The remaining five candidates - Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki and Lindsey Graham - will spar in an earlier debate beginning at 6pm ET.
Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, who participated in the Fox News /Facebook debate, did not reach the threshold for inclusion. In order to qualify, candidates had to average one percent support in any three polls in the two-month window. Gilmore had one percent support in only one poll, CNN said.
The polls taken after the first debate also determined the order in which the candidates will appear on stage. Trump will be in the center, with Carson on his right and Bush to his left.
The second GOP debate will be held at the Reagan Library in Southern California next week, on Sept. 16, and 8pm ET.