1. A candidate must have received an average of at least 2.00 % in at least three national polls released between April 1 and April 30 that were conducted by the following: ABC, AP, Bloomberg, CBS, CNN, FOX, Gallup, Los Angeles Times, Marist, McClatchy, NBC, Newsweek, Pew, Quinnipiac, Reuters, USA Today and Time.
2. A candidate must have received an average of at least 2.00 % in at least three national polls released between May 1 and May 31 that were conducted by the following: ABC, AP, Bloomberg, CBS, CNN, FOX, Gallup, Los Angeles Times, Marist, McClatchy, NBC, Newsweek, Pew, Quinnipiac, Reuters, USA Today and Time.
3. A candidate must have received an average of at least 2.00 % in polls of New Hampshire voters conducted by the UNH Survey Center released between May 1 and May 31.

While Republican presidential primary contenders face-off Monday, June 13 in the first New Hampshire debate of the season presented by CNN, Hearst Television’s WMUR, and the New Hampshire Union Leader, voters will have opportunities to question the candidates in person and online. The debate will feature questions from New Hampshire voters inside the debate hall and potentially from town hall locations in Hancock, Plymouth, and Rochester, New Hampshire. In addition, CNN will solicit comments from its users on CNN.com as well as questions via Facebook and Twitter.

The following Republican candidates will participate in the debate: Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.

The debate, which will air live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, will be moderated by CNN anchor and chief national correspondent John King, with questions from WMUR-TV’s Jean Mackin, Josh McElveen and Jennifer Vaughn and New Hampshire Union Leader’s John DiStaso and Tom Fahey. The debate will be broadcast live throughout New Hampshire on WMUR-TV and nationally on CNN, CNN en Español, CNN.com, CNN Radio, WMUR.com and UnionLeader.com. The debate will be available via live stream in the CNN Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.

Viewers watching on television and online are invited to comment or ask questions by posting comments to CNNPolitics.com, by logging on to John King, USA’s Facebook page and by using the #CNNdebate hashtag on Twitter. New Hampshire voters watching the debate at the Rochester town hall will be hosted by CNN correspondent Tom Foreman and will be equipped with handheld dial-testing devices to register their reactions during the debate. CNN.com/live will offer streaming video of the live dial-testing results in addition to a live stream of the debate in its entirety.

CNN’s political team will live blog the debate on the CNN Political Ticker, which will also feature a live feed of debate-related tweets. A new interactive feature will debut Monday night on CNN when at the beginning of the debate, a QR code (a square digital barcode) will appear on screen. Viewers with smartphones will be able to scan the QR code to access exclusive content on CNN.com including a column penned by Wolf Blitzer, a quick vote poll and a behind-the-scenes photo gallery.

CNN’s coverage surrounding the debates kicks off live and on location with John King, USA on Friday, June 10 at 7 p.m. and will continue through Monday featuring anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King, Don Lemon and Christine Romans with national political correspondent Jessica Yellin and chief political analyst Gloria Borger.

The following programs will originate live from Manchester, New Hampshire:

Friday, June 10

7 p.m. – 8 p.m. John King, USA

Saturday, June 11

5 p.m. – 6 p.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon

7 p.m. – 8p.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon

10 p.m. – 11 p.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon

Sunday, June 12

9 a.m. – 10 a.m. State of the Union with Candy Crowley

6 p.m. – 8 p.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon

10 p.m. – 11a.m. CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon

Monday, June 13

6 a.m. – 9 a.m. American Morning (split show from NH and NY)

5 p.m. – 7 p.m. The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

7 p.m. – 8 p.m. John King, USA

8 p.m. – 10 p.m. CNN/WMUR/New Hampshire Union Leader GOP Primary Debate

10 p.m. – 11 p.m. AC 360° with Anderson Cooper, Tom Foreman will also be reporting from the Rochester, New Hampshire town hall

11 p.m. – 1 a.m. CNN/WMUR/New Hampshire Union Leader GOP Primary Debate (replay)

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

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Candidates Announced for First New Hampshire GOP Primary Debate

WMUR, Union Leader, CNN to Produce First New Hampshire Republican Primary Debate

Information on the location and exact time of the New Hampshire debate will be forthcoming. The three news organizations have a long history of working together to host presidential debates in the state, most recently in 2007.

In addition to live prime-time airings on both CNN and WMUR, live video streams will be offered on CNN.com and WMUR.com along with in-depth debate coverage from the Union Leader.

“It is clear that New Hampshire will once again play a critical role with its first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary, said Joseph W. McQuaid, president and publisher of the Union Leader, said. “The Union Leader and UnionLeader.com are happy to team up with CNN and WMUR-TV to present voters with an early look at what promises to be an interesting field of Republican candidates.”

“WMUR is proud of its long tradition of producing Presidential Primary Debates as a public service to inform our viewers,” said Jeff Bartlett, president and general manager of WMUR-TV. “We are excited to partner with CNN and the Union Leader to continue our tradition in 2011.”

“CNN is thrilled to again be working with the Union Leader and WMUR to produce a New Hampshire debate,” said Sam Feist, CNN’s political director and vice president of Washington programming. “New Hampshire’s unique role in the presidential nominating process will make this first New Hampshire debate a critical event of the 2012 presidential campaign.”

The New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News is the largest circulated and only statewide daily newspaper in the Granite State, providing readers with a package that contains local, state and world-wide news, advertising, entertainment and opinion. Founded in 1863, the Union Leader is known for its comprehensive political coverage, opinions and influence, especially as part of the first-in-the-nation primary. The Union Leader can be found on the web at www.UnionLeader.com.

WMUR-TV is the leading source of television news in New Hampshire, reaching more than one million people, and is the largest commercial television station in the state. WMUR.com is the most viewed New Hampshire web site for local news. An ABC affiliate, WMUR is owned by Hearst Television, Inc.

Hearst Television Inc. owns 29 television stations and two radio stations, in geographically diverse U.S. markets. The Company’s television stations reach approximately 18% of U.S. TV households, making it one of the largest U.S. television station groups. Hearst owns 13 ABC affiliated stations, and is the largest ABC affiliate group. The Company owns 10 NBC affiliates, and is the second-largest NBC affiliate owner, and also owns two CBS affiliates.

Hearst’s stations are recognized news leaders. The station group has been honored with five consecutive Walter Cronkite Awards, presented by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, for excellence in television political journalism, and is the only TV news provider to have received a Cronkite Award every year since its inception. Hearst stations also are the recipients of many of television’s other highest awards for excellence in journalism, programming and community service, including the Peabody, the du Pont- Columbia Journalism Award, the Sigma Delta Chi Award, the Gabriel, the Ad Council Silver Bell, the National Headliner Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award and the EMMY.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.