Leaders ask CNN to include Carly in debate

We were just forwarded this letter from Indiana Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann. So grateful for their support. -Staff

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Dear Jeff Zucker,

Carly Fiorina is a top tier candidate in this race. She won the last debate and has been in the top 10 in every poll released this month. To ensure a fair and representative process, your network should seat her alongside the other candidates polling in the top 10. A transparent effort by your network to benefit candidates from and of the political establishment will not be acceptable to conservative grassroots voters. We are the audience for this debate, and we will not tolerate a TV network inappropriately influencing our primary process.

We also call on the Republican National Committee (RNC) to encourage CNN to adjust its debate criteria. Make no mistake, the RNC — which decided how many GOP primary debates there would be and who would host them — holds considerable influence over this process. Its continued silence is tantamount to turning its back on Republican voters who overwhelmingly want to see Carly on the debate stage. Carly Fiorina has already proven that she deserves to be on the main debate stage. It’s time for CNN and the RNC to recognize it as well.

Sincerely,

Dr. Craig and Ambassador Barbara Barrett, Former Ambassador to Finland (AZ)

Michael Minnaugh, Jr., Esq. (AZ)

Matt Mason, Esq. (AZ)

Lauren Barnett Pemberton (AZ)

David McMaster, Esq. (AZ)

Jenica McMaster (AZ)

Connie Wilhelm (AZ)

Tiffany Broberg, Esq. (AZ)

Evan Bolick (AZ)

Heidi Ganahl, CEO, Entrepreneur (CO)

Perry Buck, House Representative (CO)

Antonette Smith, President, Connect Communications & Marketing Inc. (CO)

Brita Horn, Treasurer, Routt County (CO)

Curt Henderson, Owner, The Henderson Agencies (CO)

Judy Merkel, President of Mountain Republican Women’s Club (CO)

Melanie Fuller, Health & Wellness Consultant, Arbonne International (CO)

Margaret Laub, Managing Partner, MML Group (CO)

Robin Wise, CEO, Junior Achievement Colorado (CO)

Scott Schaefer President, Embrazio (CO)

Shultz Hartgrove, SVP, Noah Einstein Restaurant Group (CO)

Shayne Masden, Leader of the Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Practice Group (CO)

Stacey Alexander, Information Technology Marketing and Analyst Relations Consultant (CO)

Stephanie Piko, City Council, Centennial (CO)

Sue Sharkey, Regent, University of Colorado (CO)

Tony Gagliardi, NFIB State Director (CO)

Vic Stabio, Board, Hallador Energy (CO)

John Platten, Franchise Owner (CO)

Lisa Haight, Franchise Owner (CO)

Heather Fries, Business Owner (CO)

Lisa Beals, Co-Owner Camp Bow Wow Franchise (CO)

Harvey Haight, Retired Business Owner (CO)

Keith Segura, VP Business Development (CO)

Dave Pigott, Attorney and Veteran (CO)

John Steinhauer, (CO)

Suzanne Mulet, Salt Lake City GOP Chairwoman (CO)

Jill Monds, Real Estate Broker (CO)

Betsy McCain, Executive Territory Manager (CO)

Francoise Bergan, City Council Candidate (CO)

Angie Zimmer, Teacher (CO)

Lesley Hollywood, Business Owner (CO)

Brandon Pipkin, Author/Entrepreneur (CO)

Jeff Patterson, Owner, SteelVisions (CO)

Brad Beck, Sales Executive (CO)

Kevin Warman, Sales Executive (CO)

Lori Frasier, Bank Executive (CO)

Colleen Dooley Haight (CO)

William Hoagland, Founder (CO)

Jean Anne Magness, Business Owner, Hoopla Brands (CO)

Mitchell Rasmussen, Small Business Owner (CO)

Stephanie Muth, Executive (CO)

Kyle Forti, Co-Founder / Partner, D/CO Consulting (CO)

Brett Gereau, General Manager (CO)

John Eddy (CO)

John Ewing, Director Product Development (CO)

Donald Trent Poole, Teacher (CO)

Jordan Poole, Student (CO)

Grace Poole, Executive (CO)

Diana Petrak, CRBC Director (CO)

Karen Jackson, Retired (CO)

Lloyd Jackson, Retired (CO)

Kelly D Stein, Business Owner (CO)

Susan Haight, Retired Business Owner (CO)

Jason Ganahl, Business Owner (CO)

Kait Buck, EnCana Oil and Gas (CO)

Heather Somers, Republican Lt Governor Candidate 2014, Mayor Groton 2009–2011 (CT)

Sarah F. White, retired U. S. Air Force Reserve, former Pentagon Senior Executive (CT)

Robert Steele, Former Congressman (CT)

Brian Pettyjohn, Senator, Delaware Co-Chair (DE)

Deborah Hudson, House Republican Whip, Delaware Carly Co-Chair (DE)

Charlie Copeland, Chairman, DE GOP (DE)

Danny Short, House Republican Leader (DE)

Carol Bodine, Party Secretary, DEGOP (DE)

Cathy Cloutier, Senator (DE)

Greg Lavelle, Senate Republican Whip (DE)

Paula Manolakus, President, Delaware Federation of Republican Women (DE)

Mary Spicer, Past President, Delaware Federation of Republican Women (DE)

Michael Smith, President Delaware Young Republicans (DE)

John Fluharty, Executive Director DEGOP (DE)

David Gilefski, chair of the western region GOP (DE)

Lieutenant Colonel Allen B West, Member 112th US Congress (FL)

The Honorable Jennifer Carroll — Former LT. Gov (FL)

The Honorable Sandra Morthan — Former Sec of State (FL)

Missy Shorey, Ex Dir Maggie’s List (FL)

Loretta Lepore, Georgia Co-Chair & Principal, Lepore Associates (GA)

Donna Sheldon, Former Congressional Candidate and Former Chair, Georgia House Majority Caucus (GA)

Rep. Earl Ehrhart, Representative (GA)

Carolyn Meadows, Board of NRA and ACU (GA)

Rep. Penny Houston, Representative (GA)

Liz Hausmann, Vice Chairman, Fulton County Commission (GA)

Katie Reeves, Board of Education, Fulton County Schools (GA)

Jef Fincher, Republican Grassroots Activist (GA)

Ron Goodbub, Republican Grassroots Activist (GA)

Lelia Hagood, Human Resource Manager, Contract Business Interiors (GA)

Jennifer Hazelton, Owner, CROCUS (GA)

Mere Jones, Georgia Young Republican (GA)

Kathleen Kennedy, Music Talent Manager and Former CNN Headline News Anchor (GA)

Patrick Moore, Managing Partner, Set Consulting (GA)

Cory Ruth, Managing Partner, Mergence Global and Former Candidate for Fulton County Commission

(GA)

Lavin Gartland, Georgia Republican Activist (GA)

Jeanne Billa, Georgia Republican Activist (GA)

Joyce Stevens, President, The Stevens Group and former executive director of the GA GOP (GA)

Victoria Braden, President/CEO, Braden Benefit Strategies, Inc. (GA)

Risa Kaplan, Attorney (GA)

Karen Handel, Business Consultant and Former Secretary of State (GA)

Connie Engel, Partner, Childress Klein Properties (GA)

Kathy Betty, Business Owner (GA)

Char Fortune, Principal, Avison-Young (GA)

Pete Watson, President, Lantree Properties (GA)

Suzi Voyles — Georgia Maggie’s List Chair (GA)

Tom and Catherine Sands, Representative (IA)

Josh Byrnes, Representative (IA)

Terry Baxter, Representative (IA)

Megan Jones, Representative (IA)

Scott and Martha Raecker, former State Representative (IA)

Peggy Toft, Audubon County Republican Chair (IA)

Cindy Golding, Linn County Republican Chair (IA)

Will Rogers, Polk County Republican Chair (IA)

Mark Lundberg, Sioux County Republican Chair (IA)

Becky Kepler, Hamilton County Republican Chair (IA)

Barb Hovland, Cerro Gordo County Republican Chair (IA)

Crystal Bruntz, business woman (IA)

Mark W. Leonard, farmer and business owner (IA)

Dr. Rob White, Iowa State (IA)

Jessica Maldonado, business woman (IA)

James Thompson, business owner (IA)

Ann Trimble — Ray, business woman (IA)

Kellie Paschke, business woman (IA)

Sue Ellspermann, Indiana Lt. Governor and Co-Chair (IN)

Marlin Stutzman, U.S. Congressman (IN)

Erin Houchin, Senator (IN)

Anne Hathaway, Maggie’s List Board of Directors (IN)

Christy Stutzman (IN)

Kelly Mitchell, State Treasurer (IN)

Jim Merritt, Senator (IN)

Jean Leising, Senator (IN)

Jon Ford , Senator (IN)

Representative Sharon Negele (IN)

Becky Johnson, Kansas Maggie’s List Chair (KS)

Leslie Saunders, Member of the Board of Directors of Maggie’s List (KS)

Shane French, Chair, Maggie’s List Louisiana (LA)

Kevin Kuros, Representative (MA)

Beth Lindstrom, Chair, MotivIndex.com (MA)

Amy Volk, Senator (ME)

Linda L. Bean (ME)

Lynn Fitch, Treasurer (MS)

Ryan Zinke, U.S. Congressman (MT)

The Honorable Sue Lowden, Nevada Co-chair, former NV State Senator, Nevada Chair of Maggie’s List

(NV)

Sandy Reeves (NH)

Jan Face Glassman, NH Maggie’s List Chair (NH)

Jeanie Forrester, Senator (NH)

Sharon Carson, Senator (NH)

Carol Holden, Hillsborough County Commissioner (NH)

Valerie Fraser, State Representative and Belknap County Commissioner (NH)

Dr. David Lundgren, State Representative (NH)

Robin Lundgren (NH)

Hanna Lundgren, Student (NH)

Gerardine Ferlins, President CEO Cirtronics (NH)

Ruth Ward, State Representative candidate (NH)

Will Infantine, business owner, State Representative (NH)

Tom Boucher, business owner, Cooper Door Restaurant (NH)

Marilinda Garcia, former Congressional Candidate (NH)

Kim Rice, State Representative (NH)

Sandy Reeves (NH)

Greg Carson (NH)

Jim Segalin (NH)

Beth Perlo (NH)

Sandy Reeves (NH)

Lauren Carney, former State Representative (NH)

Nan Hayworth, M.D., former U.S. Representative and New York Co-Chair (NY)

Becki Fleischer, New York Co-Chair (NY)

Kieran Michael Lalor, Member of Assembly and New York Co-Chair (NY)

Brian Kolb, State Assembly Minority Leader (NY)

Michael R. Long, State Chairman, New York State Conservative Party (NY)

Shaun Marie Levine, Executive Director NYS Conservative Party (NY)

Rob Astorino, Westchester County Executive and 2014 Republican nominee for Governor (NY)

Marcus Molinaro, Dutchess County Executive and former Member of Assembly (NY)

John C. Tkazyik, Mayor, City of Poughkeepsie (NY)

John Faso, former State Assembly Minority Leader and 2006 Republican nominee for Governor (NY)

Claudia Tenney, Member of Assembly (NY)

Nicole Malliotakis, Member of Assembly (NY)

Joseph Giglio, Member of Assembly (NY)

Karl A. Brabenec, Member of Assembly (NY)

Thom Kraus, Executive Director, Republican Assembly Campaign Committee (NY)

Douglas A. Colety, Chairman, Westchester County Republican Committee (NY)

Adele Malpass, Chairwoman, New York County (Manhattan) Republican Committee (NY)

Craig Eaton, Chairman, Kings County Republican Committee (NY)

John Jay LaValle, Chairman, Suffolk County Republican Committee and Regional Vice Chair (NY)

Anthony J. Scannapieco, Jr., PhD, Chairman, Putnam County Republican Committee (NY)

Courtney Canfield Greene, Chairwoman, Orange County Republican Committee (NY)

Michael T.J. McCormack, Chairman, Dutchess County Republican Committee (NY)

Kevin Byrne, Vice Chairman, Putnam County Republican Committee (NY)

Nanci Itzla, Second Vice Chair, Orange County Republican Committee (NY)

Mary Reilly, former Chairwoman, Richmond County Republican Committee (NY)

Lisa Grey, Esq., First Vice Chair, Richmond County Republican Committee (NY)

Joanne Rosamond, President, Westchester County Women’s Republican Club (NY)

Robert Weiss, Dutchess County Legislator (NY)

Joseph Incoronato, Dutchess County Legislator (NY)

Gerald Hutchings, Dutchess County Legislator (NY)

Robert LaColla, Supervisor, Town of Fishkill (NY)

Don Scott, Town of Bedford Councilman and former chairman Town of Bedford Republican Committee (NY)

Ori Brachfeld, Councilman, Town of Fishkill (NY)

G. Yvonne H. Chavez, Chair, Town of Canandaigua Republican Committee (NY)

William Monti, Chairman, Town of North Salem Republican Committee (NY)

John Murtagh, former City of Yonkers Council Minority Leader (NY)

Joan Illuzzi, Republican Nominee for Richmond County District Attorney (NY)

Alana Sweeny, former Commissioner, New York State Council on Children and Families (NY)

Lydia Biskup, former Chairwoman, Town of Poughkeepsie Republican Committee (NY)

Kimberly Morella, Town of Bedford Republican Committee District Leader (NY)

John G. Gress, Jr., Town of Southeast Republican Committee District Leader (NY)

Kaye Surman, Chairwoman, Town of Dover Republican Committee (NY)

Howard Hellwinkel, Town of North Salem Republican Committee District Leader (NY)

Claire Simonelli, Town of New Castle Republican Committee District Leader (NY)

Steve Shapiro, President, Intrepid Family Office (NY)

Mary Covucci, Poughkeepsie Women’s Republican Club of Dutchess County (NY)

Nancy and Patrick Magliari, City of Yonkers Republican Committee District Leaders (NY)

Robert M. Phillips, Town/Village of Scarsdale Republican Committee (NY)

Kathleen O’Keefe, City of Mount Vernon Republican Committee District Leader

Robin Fusiak, Town of Philipstown Republican Committee (NY)

George F. Sutter, WWII Veteran and Westchester County Republican Activist (NY)

Gary Jones, Oklahoma State Auditor and former OK GOP Chairman (OK)

Charlie Gerow, Board Member ACU (PA)

Donna Hicks, House Representative (SC)

Phyliss Henderson, House Representative (SC)

Bonnie Loomis, Principal, Palladian Group Public Affairs, LLC (SC)

Deborah Long, House Representative (SC)

Mary Jean Jensen — South Dakota Maggie’s List Chair (SD)

Barb Stork (SD)

Suzanne Veenis (SD)

Jon Veenis (SD)

Mary Littleton, Representative (TN)

Dawn White, Representative (TN)

Tilman Goins, Representative (TN)

Randan Steinhauser, Texas Maggie’s List Chair (TX)

Paula Mann, former CEO of Sunbelt Communications (TX)

Susan Combs, Former Comptroller and former state legislator (TX)

Jeffrey M. Frederick, Former Chairman, Republican Party of Virginia (VA)

Fred Thompson, CFA, Thompson Hospitality (VA)

Jay McConville, Former Chairman, Fairfax County Republican Committee (VA)

Diane Tebelius, Washington Maggie’s List Chair (WA)

Penny Nance, President and CEO Concerned Women PAC

Millie Hallow

Bob McEwen, Former MOC

Janine Turner, Actress and Author

Jeri Thompson

Kristan Hawkins, President, Students for Life

Marjorie Dannenfelser, President, Susan B. Anthony List

Jenny Beth Martin, Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, Chairman

Elaine Donnelly, President, Center for Military Readiness

Bill Walton, VP Council for National Policy

Willes K. Lee, Vice President, National Federation of Republican Assemblies

Andrea Lafferty, President Traditional Values Coalition

Dan Schneider, Executive Director of American Conservative Union

Organizations listed for identification purposes only.