A set of New Hampshire Republicans is urging Fox News to rethink its recently announced rule to limit the first 2016 GOP primary debate to candidates polling in the top 10 of the five most recent national polls.
Over 50 New Hampshire Republicans, including current and former elected officials as well as activists, signed the letter urging Fox to forget the requirement. The move by Fox was meant to try and get a handle on the unusually large GOP primary field, which is expected to have more than a dozen GOP candidates by the time of the August 4th debate.
“Historically, it has been the responsibility of early primary and caucus states to closely examine and winnow the field of candidates, and it is not in the electorate’s interest to have TV debate criteria supplant this solemn duty,” the letter, reported by The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, said. “To do so would undermine the very nature of our process and the valuable service that states like New Hampshire provide to voters across the country.”
Former New Hampshire Govs. Stephen Merrill and Craig Benson, New Hampshire Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, and Republican activist Ovide Lamontagne were a few of the Republicans who signed the letter, according to the Journal.
Several Republican candidates have complained about the rule, including neurosurgeon Ben Carson who is expected to qualify for the debate. Carson, in a letter to RNC officials, said he had “concerns” about the top ten requirement.
