WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican Party said on Friday it has approved nine primary debates in the months leading up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, starting in Ohio in August.
The debates are contingent on negotiations with media partners, the Republican National Committee said in a statement from its winter meeting in San Diego, where Chairman Reince Priebus was elected to a third term.
"It is exciting that Republicans will have such a large bench of candidates to choose from, and the sanctioned debate process ensures voters will have a chance to gain a chance to hear from them," said Priebus.
The sanctioned debate schedule reflects about half the debates held during the lengthy 2012 presidential primaries. Many Republicans thought that heavy debate schedule was a strain on candidates and forced them into rigid policy positions that hurt them in the general election.
The debates for 2016 will be: in Ohio in August (broadcast by Fox News), in California in September (CNN), in Colorado in October (CNBC), in Wisconsin in November (Fox Business), in Nevada in December (CNN), in Iowa in January 2016 (Fox News) and three in February 2016: in New Hampshire (ABC), in South Carolina (CBS), in Florida (NBC/Telemundo).
The Republicans will meet in Cleveland in July 2016 to nominate their presidential candidate for the election in November later that year.