Dozens of the state’s top Republicans are urging Fox News not to limit the number of participants in its upcoming presidential debate.
In the letter signed by more than 50 members of the New Hampshire GOP, including two former governors and nine current state senators, the network is asked to reconsider its decision to only include 10 candidates in a debate scheduled for Aug. 6.
Despite more than a dozen confirmed or prospective Republican presidential candidates in the field, the network says it will use national polls to determine who makes the cut.
In its letter, the group proposes alternatives, such as dividing the debate into two panels to appear back-to-back, either on the same night or consecutive nights.
Former governors Craig Benson and Stephen Merrill and current state Senate President Chuck Morse are among those who signed the letter.
The group says while such a deep field of candidates can create logistical challenges, that kind of civic engagement should be embraced.
