While his campaign has yet to confirm that he has met all the requirements to take part in the first Republican presidential debate, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez appears headed to the debate stage in Milwaukee later this month.
This week, SOS America PAC, a Super PAC backing Suarez, announced the Miami mayor has met the polling requirements laid out by the Republican National Committee (RNC). The PAC announced earlier in the month that Suarez cleared the 40,000 donor requirement.
“Mayor Suarez has reached 1 percent in three national polls (among others): the Morning Consult 3 Day Moving Average July 1-3rd, the most recent Cygnal survey and the Echelon insights Survey from July 24-27, 2023. Mayor Suarez has also hit 1 percent in multiple early state surveys including Manhattan Institute’s New Hampshire survey, Manhattan Institute’s South Carolina survey and Fox Business News’ Iowa Presidential Poll. The Suarez Campaign previously announced reaching the fundraising threshold for the debate,” SOS America PAC noted.
“Another day, another poll confirms that conservative Miami Mayor Francis Suarez will be on the RNC debate stage,” said SOS America PAC Spokesman Chapin Fay. “Having a successful Republican with a strong record of accomplishment, who is also a prominent Hispanic voice in a campaign with no other Hispanic candidates is a critical step in winning over one of the fastest growing demographics in America.
“When Mayor Suarez is included in polls, his message of bringing the Miami Model to America clearly strikes a chord with Republican primary voters. And when you compare Joe Biden‘s America to Francis Suarez’s Miami, it’s no surprise. Under Mayor Suarez, Miami has become one of the safest, most prosperous large cities in the nation. America needs conservative Miami Mayor Francis Suarez,” Fay added.
Suarez has stressed the importance of making the debate stage for his presidential aspirations. Appearing on NewsNation’s The Hill (weekdays, 5 p.m. ET) last week, Suarez said making the debate stage is crucial for his campaign.
“For someone like me, it’s critical. I’m relatively unknown as you just said. I’m introducing myself to the country. They’re getting to know who I am, they’re getting to know my story, they’re getting to know my policies, and my vision for the country. That is how you try to convince voters that you are the right person to be the president and so getting on that debate stage, where you’re going to have a significant opportunity to communicate directly with the American people. It’s frankly priceless. It’ll be the first real opportunity I have to do that so I’m banking on that as a means of starting to see this incremental growth of going from 1 percent to a majority of the party, overtime of course but it’s important to get up there and have an opportunity to tell that story of where I came from,” said Suarez.
Suarez was asked if he would have to drop out of the race if he did not make the debate.
“I think that’s probably right,” said Suarez. “I’ve often said that running for president is sort of like being on the show Survivor, and you have to sort of make it on one episode to the next. And I think being on the debate stage, particularly for someone like me, is critical. It gives me that exposure – it allows me to connect with the American people. And then, I hope and pray that when given that opportunity, that what’ll happen is I’ll meet the polling threshold for the next debate, so you’ll have a second opportunity. And of course, between those debates, you’re going to the early states.”
Gov. Doug Burgum, R-ND, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., former Gov. and UN Amb. Nikki Haley, R-SC, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, have all announced they have made the requirements to appear at the August 23 debate. Former Gov. Chris Christie, R-NJ, has said he has met all the requirements but has not been presented with a pledge card to back the eventual Republican nominee. Former Vice President Mike Pence and former President Donald Trump have met the polling and donor thresholds but have yet to announce they have signed the pledge cards. Pence is expected at the debate while Trump, the favorite for the Republican nomination, is not expected to appear.
Talk radio host Larry Elder, former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, and former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., have not yet made the requirements to appear in the first debate.
