Haley, DeSantis, Christie and Ramaswamy to Face Off in Fourth Republican Debate

The fourth Republican presidential primary debate has a narrowed field, with only four candidates having qualified for the stage on Wednesday night. Those who met the polling and fundraising thresholds to participate include Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Haley is the former United States ambassador to the United Nations, serving under President Trump. DeSantis is currently governor of Florida and is considered a rising star in the party. Christie is a former governor of New Jersey who ran for president in 2016. And Ramaswamy is an entrepreneur and author new to politics.

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Notably missing from the lineup is former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, who failed to meet the qualifications needed to make the debate stage. He is among a shrinking field of contenders aiming to present themselves as alternatives to Donald Trump in pursuing the Republican nomination.

Whereas five candidates participated in the previous debate in early November, the winnowing down to four reflects the increasing difficulty for those struggling to gain momentum in both polling and financial support. Only the top candidates in both metrics have survived to make the stage for this fourth matchup.