A Republican forum on Aug. 3 in New Hampshire is growing in significance as 14 candidates have now agreed to participate.
The Voters First Republican Presidential Forum was set up to accommodate candidates who were not ranked in the top 10 in national polling and who are to compete in the first official Republican debate, moderated by Fox News on Aug. 6 in Cleveland.
But now many in the top 10 are planning to show up for the New Hampshire forum as well. New York real estate mogul Donald Trump is not attending, the Union Leader newspaper of Manchester, New Hampshire, reported.
The Voters First Republican Presidential Forum is to be held at St. Anselm College in Manchester.
The two-hour forum is intended to highlight the importance of New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary, along with the nominating contests in Iowa and South Carolina.
The Union Leader, one of the sponsors for the forum, said the candidates who have committed to attend include Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, Bobby Jindal, John Kasich and Chris Christie.
Also on the list are Rick Perry, George Pataki, Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum and Ben Carson.
