A republican primary debate will play on on the March 31 episode of the ABC drama

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Scandal‘s former first lady is vying for the republican nomination for president on the ABC drama, and PEOPLE has the exclusive First Look at her first campaign ad.

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Mellie (Bellamy Young) has had quite a season so far. After moving out of the White House and divorcing her husband, President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn), the freshman senator has enlisted Fitz’s former mistress turned live-in girlfriend Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) to run her campaign.

On Thursday’s episode of Scandal, Mellie will face off against her Republican primary competitors – Vice President Susan Ross (Artemis Pebdani) and business man Hollis Doyle (Gregg Henry) – at a republican primary debate hosted by former vice president Sally Langston (Kate Burton).

Entertainment Weekly exclusively revealed the candidates’ campaign posters last week.