WASHINGTON−Republican candidates vying for their party’s nomination in the 2024 presidential race will take the stage Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, Calif., for the second GOP primary debate.
After last month’s showdown, some candidates will likely change their strategies and who they’ll attack during the two-hour debate, from 9 to 11 p.m. EST, that night.
The first debate in Milwaukee in late August brought more attention to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who have both seen polling bumps since then. Haley spent much of her time on offense against competitors as she focused on her vision for the country. Ramaswamy played defense most of the night, targeted by fellow Republicans on stage as he has attracted larger campaign crowds and more media coverage.
Here’s a look at what to watch for in the second debate.
Who has qualified for the second GOP debate?
So far, the six candidates who have qualified for the second debate include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Ramaswamy, Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
It is unclear whether North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will be on stage. GOP frontrunner Donald Trump also said he will skip the debates, citing his large lead in the polls.
Ramaswamy will likely be the other candidates’ punching bag − again
Ramaswamy remains in the upper tier of candidates and will again be near the center of the stage, ensuring high profile skirmishes with other candidates, according to Aaron Kall, director of debate at the University of Michigan and co-author of “Debating The Donald.”
“Ramaswamy did an excellent job in the first debate of being extremely blunt and interjecting himself into a lot of important exchanges,” Kall said. “This earned Ramaswamy a lot of airtime, but he also absorbed a tremendous amount of political punches.”
Notably in the last debate, many candidates sparred with Ramaswamy over his lack of experience. For instance, Haley shot back at Ramaswamy after he said the U.S. should cede eastern Ukraine to Russia, arguing he has “no foreign policy experience and it shows.”
Pence also said during the first debate that “we don’t need to bring in a rookie” to the White House – a direct nod to Ramaswamy – and later added the country needs a president who’s been there and knows how the government works.
“His weakness is that he spouts a lot of nonsense and comes across as the kid who reminds the teacher to collect everyone’s homework,” David Niven, a political scientist at the University of Cincinnati, told USA TODAY. “Expect even more of his competitors to expose Ramaswamy’s lack of depth and sincerity in the next debate.”
But as a newcomer, Ramaswamy declared in the last debate that he’s the only one “not bought and paid for” on stage and leaned on Trump-style, far-right values to try to appeal to voters. This divide between populism and traditional conservatism embraced by candidates like Pence will likely emerge as a theme in the second debate, said Michael Traugott, a political scientist at the University of Michigan.
“This is the most important problem that the party is facing now, as Trump leads the populist faction – and Ramaswamy knows this – while Pence is trying to steer it back to its recent historical roots,” Traugott said.
Topics that could be discussed: economy, natural disasters and Trump
Because Fox Business and the Reagan Foundation are hosting the debate along with other partners, a more nuanced focus on business and economic issues could be in store, Kall said.
“Ramaswamy and Burgum – if he qualifies – both have overseen wildly successful startup businesses and these experiences may come up during the debate,” Kall said. He added that the candidates will continue to knock Bidenomics, inflation and high interest rates.
The regulation of private companies like TikTok and Disney could be ripe for discussion given “traditional Republican orthodoxy regarding regulation,” and attention on union strikes or a future shift to electric vehicles could also be debated given the timeliness of events, he said.
Natural disasters and climate change could also crop up as topics of interest. Hurricane Idalia’s recent damage to Florida and DeSantis’ handling of events at the time, including his decision not to meet with President Joe Biden, could be a talking point for some candidates like Christie.
While Trump is not expected to show up at the second debate, his four indictments will likely take cen