CNN debate to feature 11 candidates, including Fiorina

David Jackson | USA TODAY

Next week's prime-time Republican presidential debate will feature 11 candidates, including surging businesswoman Carly Fiorina, CNN announced Thursday.

Fiorina, front-runner Donald Trump, and other Republican candidates will gather Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif., for the second debate of 2016 election cycle, this one sponsored by CNN.

In addition to Trump and Fiorina, the 8 p.m. ET session will include Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee and Rand Paul.

An earlier debate, at 6 p.m. ET, will feature Republicans who have finished outside the top 10 in an aggregate of polls: Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal and George Pataki.

"Thursday marked the close of the two-month window for determining eligibility based on averages of national polls," CNN said in a report.

Trump led the Republican field in the aggregate of polls used by CNN, scoring nearly 24% support. Bush finished second at 11.5%, followed by Walker (9.4%), Carson (8.9%), Cruz (6.3%), Rubio (5.6%), Huckabee (5.6%), Paul (4.7%), Kasich (3.2%), Christie (3.1%), and Fiorina (2.2%).

The candidates in the early debate: Perry (1.8%), Santorum (1.2%), Jindal (1.1%), Pataki (0.5%), and Graham (0.5%).

The prime-time debate could be a contest between insurgent "outsider" candidates and so-called "establishment" Republicans.

Trump, Fiorina and Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who has finished second in more recent GOP polls, are stressing the fact they have never held public office, arguing that the GOP establishment has failed party supporters on items like federal spending and immigration.

More traditional Republicans — including Bush, Walker, and Rubio — have seen their poll numbers drop in recent weeks. They have questioned whether Trump and other newcomers are qualified for the presidency, and can win a general election.

Trump, who has led all Republican polls for months, also figures to be a target in the upcoming debate. Trump has maintained his positions despite a series of controversies, including a dispute with Fox News over its questioning in the first debate.

The outsiders may also try to draw distinctions among themselves at the Republican debate. Trump, Fiorina and Carson have exchanged attacks in recent days over their qualifications for the presidency.

Ten of the same candidates took the prime time stage at the first debate sponsored by Fox News on Aug. 6 in Cleveland.

Fiorina, however, was relegated to the earlier debate on that occasion. Many viewers said Fiorina won the "happy hour" debate, and her polling has improved in the weeks since.

In determining the line-up for the second round of debates, CNN said that any candidate who ranked in the top 10 in an aggregate of polls between mid-July and Sept. 10 would be included in the prime-time session.

The network also allowed any candidate who finished in the top 10 of polls taken between Aug. 6 -- the date of the first Republican debate -- and Sept. 10, creating the possibility of more than 10 candidates in the prime-time session and enabling Fiorina to join the field.