Commission on Presidential Debates

Commission on Presidential Debates
PredecessorLeague of Women Voters (sponsor)
Formation1987; 37 years ago (1987)
TypeNon-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation[1]
PurposeOrganization of the United States presidential and vice-presidential election debates
Co-Chairs
Executive Director
Janet H. Brown
Websitewww.debates.org Edit this at Wikidata

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is a nonprofit corporation established in 1987 under the joint sponsorship of the Democratic and Republican political parties in the United States.[1][3] The CPD sponsors and produces debates for U.S. presidential and vice-presidential candidates and undertakes research and educational activities relating to the debates. Between 1988 and 2020, the CPD organized all general election presidential debates.

In 2024, the campaigns of the major-party presumptive presidential candidates, Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and Republican former president Donald Trump, circumvented the CPD and committed to two debates outside the CPD's purview. When Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee after the first debate, she and Trump maintained the commitment to the second debate outside the CPD's purview.

  1. ^ a b "The Commission on Presidential Debates: An Overview". debates.org. Commission on Presidential Debates. n.d. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  2. ^ "CPD: Commission Leadership". Debates.org. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  3. ^ Gailey, Phil (February 19, 1987). "Democrats and Republicans Form Panel to Hold Presidential Debates". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2008.