CNN announces top-tier debate lineup; Carly Fiorina makes the cut

CNN has announced the lineup for the network's Reagan Library Debate next Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

The Republican presidential candidates who made the cut are Donald Trump, Ben Carson, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), Gov. John Kasich (Ohio), Gov. Chris Christie (N.J.), and Carly Fiorina. CNN says it determined eligibility by looking at the averages of 14 national polls during the past two months. In late August, the network announced that any candidate who made the top 10 in an average of polls conducted after the Aug. 6 Fox News/Facebook debate would be included in the Reagan Library Debate. Fiorina was the only candidate to climb up from the bottom six to the top 10.

The candidates who did not poll high enough to be included in the 8 p.m. debate — former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former New York Gov. George Pataki, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) — will participate in an earlier debate at 6 p.m. Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore did not meet the criteria for inclusion in the debate; candidates had to receive an average 1 percent support in any three polls during the past two months, and he only had 1 percent support in one poll.

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