Here’s a news release from the Oregon Republican Party:

Portland, Ore. – Oregon Republican Party Chairman Allen Alley announced today that the Republican National Committee has approved a proposal by the Oregon GOP to host a Presidential Primary debate in Portland, Oregon on Monday, March 19th, at 6:00 PM PST. This 90-minute debate between the Republican candidates for president is offered in cooperation with the Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), NPR, and print and digital partner, The Washington Times. This debate will likely be the only Republican Presidential Primary debate to reach all Americans, not just those who subscribe to cable and/or satellite television services. The 350 television stations affiliated with PBS reach 99 percent of the population of the United States, and are watched by 124 million people each month. NPR and its 270 member radio stations reach a weekly audience of over 33 million listeners. Millions more watch and listen online at PBS.org and NPR.org.

“This is the most substantive presidential debate proposal the

Republican National Committee has ever sanctioned,” RNC Debate

Committee Chairman Jim Bopp said, after the committee had voted to

make the debate an official, RNC-approved event.

“The format fashioned by Oregon GOP Chairman Allen Alley is truly

innovative in its call for a two-minute answer per candidate, with

the requirement that each candidate articulate his political

philosophy first, then identify the causes of a problems the nation

faces and finally offer realistic solutions to address the causes,”

Mr. Bopp said.

 State Chairman Allen Alley put this deal together and says this debate may be key. Under current GOP rules, there’s no mathematical chance that the GOP candidate will have been selected before April 24th.