First GOP Presidential Debate of 2024

On Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023 the Republican National Committee held the first presidential primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, nearly one year away from the site of the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Participating candidates included former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. To appear on stage candidates must have raised contributions from at least 40,000 individual contributors and received at least 1% in three national polls.

Missed the debate or want to rewatch it? Click here to stream the debate in full!

Arkansas Young Republicans Hold 2023 Convention

This past weekend the Arkansas Young Republicans held their 2023 Convention, they elected new officers, and started to lay the groundwork for campaigns in 2024. The new officers, from left to right, are:

2nd Vice Chairman | Stephen Houserman

1st Vice Chairman | Hannah Bunch Reber

National Committeeman | Drew Martin

Chairman | Rusty Jackson

National Committeewoman | Gabrielle Harvey

Secretary | Devin Alven

Treasurer | Will Cheatham

The First GOP Debate

What you need to know:

• On the debate stage in Milwaukee, voters were presented with a clear choice of winning Republican policies vs. the failed Biden-Harris agenda.
• Republican leadership in the White House will get our country back on track.
• Our Republican nominee will be the next President of the United States, and this debate showcased many of our great Republican candidates and their ideas for the future of our country.
• For 3 years, Joe Biden and the Democrats have delivered crisis after crisis. Voters are ready for change.
• According to Real Clear Politics, Biden’s average approval rating is 41.6%.
• A Republican president and administration will jumpstart our economy.
• Poll after poll shows voters trust Republicans on the economy.
• A majority of Americans say Republicans in Congress understand their economic problems better than Biden, according to a Harvard-Harris poll.
• More Americans think Republicans have a better plan to reduce inflation, according to an Economist/YouGov poll.
• The Republican Party holds a 12-point advantage on economic policy, according to a Pew Research survey.
• American energy independence will be a pillar of a Republican administration.
• Americans are paying the price for Biden’s anti-American energy agenda.
• On average, Americans have lost over $2,250 paying increased energy costs since Biden took office.
• Nearly 20 million households are behind on their utility bills.
• Under a Republican administration, we will secure our southern border and tackle the fentanyl crisis our country is faced with. 
• Under Biden’s watch, illegal immigrants and deadly drugs like fentanyl have flooded across the border.
• Including "gotaways," there have now been more than 7 million illegal border crossings.
• Since Biden took office, more than 22 tons of fentanyl have crossed the southern border, enough to kill 10 billion people.