Republican presidential hopefuls will get a chance for some last jabs at each other before the pivotal Florida primary at Thursday night's debate at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
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The function, which is hosted by CNN, the Republican Party of Florida and the Hispanic Leadership Network, comes just days before the January 31 presidential primary in Florida.
CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer will moderate the debate and the remaining four candidates -- former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas -- have all accepted invitations to attend.
The debate comes as new poll shows front-runners Gingrich and Romney in a virtual tie.
The CNN-Time-ORC International poll released Wednesday indicated that 36% of people likely to vote in Tuesday's Florida primary back Romney, while 34% are for Gingrich. Romney's margin is well within the survey's sampling error. The poll had Santorum at 11% and Paul at 9%, with 7% undecided.
The showdown is the last time the candidates will debate each other on the same stage before Tuesday's winner-take-all primary. But it will also be the second debate this week.
Gingrich, who has been surging since his emphatic win in the South Carolina primary, was attacked from all sides at the debate Monday.
SOURCE: CNN
