As DeSantis and Haley face off in Iowa GOP debate, urgency could spark fireworks

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Just two Republican presidential candidates, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, will meet on the debate stage Wednesday night. With just five days before the Iowa caucuses, the debate may be their last, best chance to change the trajectory of the race before voting begins.

The big front-runner, Donald Trump, was the only other candidate to meet the 10% polling threshold to participate. But as he has six times before, the Republican former president is declining to show up given his overwhelming lead in the polls.

Here’s what we’re watching heading into the 9 p.m. EST event that will be hosted by CNN:

ONE ON ONE

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«Other news» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Other news </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> A one-on-one debate between Haley and DeSantis could help decide the Republican alternative to Trump<use xlink:href="#play-icon" xmlns:xlink=«http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink»> </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> DeSantis says nominating Trump would make 2024 a referendum on the ex-president rather than Biden </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Lawyers may face discipline for criticizing a judge’s ruling in discrimination case </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>

And then there were two.

In style, if not substance, Wednesday’s one-on-one debate may offer the closest thing to a general election debate preview that we’ve seen. Only Haley and DeSantis will be on stage. There is no place to hide and no other