Fourteen of the 17 Republican presidential candidates will participate in a forum Monday night in New Hampshire, offering up a preview of Thursday’s much-anticipated debate.
The candidates — every one except Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore — are scheduled to take the stage at the Voters First Forum at St. Anselm College’s Institute of Politics.
Trump and others have already traded many notable barbs ahead of both the forum on Monday and Thursday’s primetime debate — with most of the shots coming from Trump on Twitter.
But key issues such as immigration, abortion and relevant experience are sure to be broached starting Monday night. The New Hampshire Union Leader, which is co-sponsoring the forum, reported that Sens. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio will participate remotely because they are staying in Washington for a late Senate vote on defunding Planned Parenthood. Sen. Lindsey Graham is expected to attend in person.
The forum — which is not technically a debate — will be aired live on C-SPAN from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.