14 GOP Presidential Candidates Expected at #VotersFirst Forum

The Voters First Forum for Republican first-in-the-nation primary presidential candidates will be held on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015, from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Anselm College.

According to the New Hampshire Union Leader, one of the organizers of the event, 14 Republican candidates – Jeb Bush, Dr. Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, John Kasich, George Pataki, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, and Scott Walker – are all expected to be at the event.

Donald Trump, one of the Republican frontrunners, has decided to skip the event, after the newspaper offered an editorial critical of his comments about U.S. Sen. John McCain. Trump told the newspaper that since he didn’t think he would get its endorsement, he would be bowing out of the invitation to participate. The remark and dismissal came as a surprise to many since Trump was the keynote speaker at the Nackey Loeb School First Amendment Award dinner, organized by the Union Leader, honoring slain NH journalist James Foley. He also made a donation to a foundation set up by Foley’s family.

The forum was put together after Fox News scheduled a “Top 10” candidate debate in Ohio scheduled for Aug. 6, but only allowed candidates that measured a certain amount of support in national polling to participate. Fox News later offered other candidates time in the afternoon. Critics called the offer like an invitation to sit at the “kiddies’ table” during a holiday meal.

According to the UnionLeader.com, questions are being put together based on topics that readers and viewers in New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina have submitted.

The debate will air nationwide on C-SPAN, Hearst television stations, and the iHeart Radio Network.

In New Hampshire, WMUR-TV, NH1, and NECN, as well as radio stations NHPR, WGIR, NewsRadio 96.7 FM, Classic Country 1380 AM, and WTPL FM will all broadcast the debate.

In South Carolina, WLTX-TV in Columbia will air the debate.

In Iowa, KCRG-TV will also broadcast the debate.

Because of the wide number of media participants, organizers expect that it will have a larger audience than the Fox News debate.