Ellspermann helped Fiorina get CNN debate rules changed

The campaign of Republican presidential contender Carly Fiorina is praising Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann for her role in persuading CNN to change the qualifying rules for its upcoming GOP debate.

Ellspermann sent a strongly worded letter Tuesday afternoon to CNN President Jeff Zucker demanding that Fiorina be included in the cable news network’s Republican debate. The letter was signed by more than 200 elected officials and party activists from across the country.

About two hours later, CNN announced a change to its qualifying criteria that likely will allow Fiorina to participate.

“Lt. Gov. Ellspermann and her Indiana Co Chair, Suzanne Jaworowski, were two of the earliest signers and pushed hard for the team to undertake this effort,” Anna Epstein, a spokeswoman for Fiorina, said in an email to The Indianapolis Star. “She did great work helping secure influential signers from Indiana and she is the one who emailed the letter.”

The letter called Fiorina “a top tier candidate” and urged Zucker to “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,” the letter said. “We are the audience for this debate, and we will not tolerate a TV network inappropriately influencing our primary process.”

The letter also took on the Republican National Committee.

“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,” the letter said. “Its continued silence is tantamount to turning its back on Republican voters who overwhelmingly want to see Carly on the debate stage.”

Ellspermann told The Star she thought it was wrong that Fiorina might be “boxed out.”

“We realized a week or 10 days ago that we needed to somehow communicate our frustration with CNN — and RNC for that matter — for having created rules that were going to block Carly after she had such an amazing performance in the last debate,” Ellspermann said.

Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard CEO, was widely seen as the winner of the opening “happy hour” debate sponsored by Fox News last month. Since then, she has risen steadily in polls.

Other Indiana signatories to the letter included U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, Indiana Treasurer Kelly Mitchell and several members of the Indiana General Assembly.

Until Tuesday, CNN stated that only candidates in the top 10 in polls taken from July 16 to Sept. 10 would be included. That criteria drew protests from Fiorina, who said that would not accurately reflect the current state of the campaign.

Now the network says any GOP candidate who appears in the top 10 of an average of national polls taken after the first debate on Aug. 6 until Sept. 10 will be invited to take part in the Ronald Reagan Library debate in Simi Valley, Calif.

The new approach could mean more than 10 candidates qualify, including Fiorina. She’s currently seventh in the RealClearPolitics rolling average.

She recently told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren that retaining polls taken before the first debate in determining participation would be akin to keeping “a football team out of the playoffs because of a preseason game.”

The network said it made the change because far fewer national polls will have been taken since the first debate than it expected when the rules were formulated.

“As a result, we now believe we should adjust the criteria to ensure the next debate best reflects the most current state of the national race,” CNN said.

USA Today contributed to this story.

Call Star reporter Tony Cook at (317) 444-6081. Follow him on Twitter: @indystartony.

The letter

Here is the full text of the letter Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann sent to CNN President Jeff Zucker

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)

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

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

Shaun Marie Levine, Executive Director, New York State Conservative Party (NY)

Rob Astorino, County Executive, Westchester County (NY)

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

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

Douglas Colety, Chairman, Westchester County, New York Republican Committee (NY)

Courtney Canfield Greene, Chairman, Orange County, New York Republican Committee (NY)

Lisa Grey, Esq., First Vice Chair, Richmond County, New York Republican Party (NY)

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

Howard Hellwinkel, North Salem Republican District Leader (NY)

John Jay LaValle, Chairman, Suffolk County, New York Republican Committee and Regional Vice Chairman, New York Republican State Committee (NY)

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

Marcus Molinaro, County Executive, Dutchess County (NY)

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

Kimberly Morella, Republican District Leader and Activist (NY)

Mary Reilly, Former Chair, Richmond County (NY)

Joanne Rosamond, President, Westchester County, New York Women's Republican Club (NY)

Anthony Scannapieco, Jr., Chairman, Putnam County, New York Republican Committee (NY)

Don Scott, Town Councilman Bedford, New York; Former Bedford Republican Town Chair; Westchester County Republican District Leader (NY)

Steve Shapiro, President, Intrepid Family Office (NY)

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

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

Claire Simonelli, Former District Leader, Chappaqua, New York Republican Town Committee (NY)

Joan Illuzzi, Republican Candidate for District Attorney, Richmond County, New York (NY)

Lydia Biskup, former Town of Poughkeepsie Republican Chair (NY)

John Faso, former assembly GOP minority leader (NY)

Brian Kolb, NYS Assembly Republican Leader (NY)

John Faso, Former Assembly Republican Leader (NY)

Claudia Tenney, Assembly Member (NY)

Nicole Malliotakis, NYS Assembly Member (NY)

Joseph Giglio, NYS Assembly Member (NY)

Kieran Michael Lalor, NYS Assembly Member (NY)

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

Robert Weiss, Dutchess County Legislator (NY)

Joseph Incoronato, Dutchess County Legislator (NY)

Gerald Hutchings, Dutchess County Legislator (NY)

Robert LaColla, Town of Fishkill Supervisor (NY)

Ori Brachfeld, Town of Fishkill Councilman (NY)

Mary Covucci, Former Secretary Poughkeepsie Womens GOP Club of Dutchess County (NY)

Kaye Surman, Town of Dover Republican Chair (NY)

John Murtagh, Former Yonkers City Council Minority Leader (NY)

Nanci Itzla, 2nd Vice Chair, Orange County Republican Committee (NY)

Nancy Magliari, Co-District Leader, Yonkers, New York Republican Committee (NY)

Patrick Magliari, Co-District Leader, Yonkers, New York Republican Committee (NY)

Robert M. Phillips, Acting Treasurer, Scarsdale, New York Republican Town Committee (NY)

Robin Fusiak, Member, Philipstown, New York Republican Committee (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 (FD)

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

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