MILWAUKEE (NewsNation) — Eight Republican candidates prepare to face off in the first GOP presidential debate for the 2024 election Wednesday in Milwaukee.

The candidates who have qualified for the Republican National Committee (RNC) debate are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

Missing from the list is former President Donald Trump, who announced Friday that he will not be participating in the debate. Instead, a pre-taped one-on-one interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson will air on the social media platform X.

Trump claimed he would not be participating in this debate because he was already leading the polls.

Candidates are hoping to vie for the number two spot in the polls behind the former president.

With less than five months until the Iowa caucuses jumpstart the GOP presidential nomination process, the debate is a critical opportunity for lower-polling candidates to introduce themselves to millions of voters, many of whom are just beginning to pay attention to the race.

The pressure is perhaps greatest for DeSantis, who announced his campaign in May to great fanfare but has since struggled to gain traction and is now fighting to maintain his distant second-place status.

Where DeSantis sat cozily at number two, Ramaswamy has hit his stride in recent weeks and has seen a rise in the polls.

This will be the first-ever debate for the political newcomer and tech billionaire. Ramaswamy told NewsNation that he spent the eve of the debate rallying supporters.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd and radio host Larry Elder are also among those who, according to the RNC, did not meet the requirements to participate in the debate.

The debate will air at 9 p.m. ET on Fox News on Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.