The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is a nonprofit corporation established in 1987 under the joint sponsorship of the Democratic and Republican political parties in the United States.

[3] In 1988, the League of Women Voters withdrew its sponsorship of the presidential debates after the George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis campaigns secretly agreed to a "memorandum of understanding" that would decide which candidates could participate in the debates, which individuals would be panelists (and therefore able to ask questions), and the height of the lecterns.

[15] As of 2024, the co-chairs of the Commission were Frank Fahrenkopf (a former chairman of the Republican National Committee) and Antonia Hernández.

[14] McCurry stepped down as co-chair in January 2017, and was replaced by Dorothy S. Ridings, a past executive of the Council on Foundations and League of Women Voters.

[20] As of 2024, the Commission's board consists of eight members:[2] Roy Blunt (former Republican senator from Missouri),[21] Charles Gibson (a longtime television journalist, formerly of ABC News),[22][23] John Griffen (managing director of Allen & Co.);[23] the Reverend John I. Jenkins (the president of the University of Notre Dame),[23] Monica C. Lozano (the president and CEO of the College Futures Foundation),[24] Richard D. Parsons (a cable executive),[23] Rajiv J. Shah (the president of the Rockefeller Foundation and former administrator of USAID),[24] and Olympia Snowe (former Republican senator from Maine).

[23] Past board members include John C. Danforth (former Republican senator from Missouri),[25] Yvonne Hao (an investor and businesswoman),[23][26] Jane Harman (a former Democratic congresswoman who later became director of the Woodrow Wilson Center)[23][15] and Newton N. Minow (a former member of the Federal Communications Commission during the John F. Kennedy administration).

[2][23] Other past board members include Shirley M. Tilghman, Richard Moe, Kay Orr, Leon E. Panetta, Mitch Daniels, and Caroline B.

[19] The commission's debates are sponsored by private contributions from foundations and corporations[28] as well as fees from hosting institutions.

[32] When Perot ran again in 1996, the CPD declined to invite him to the debates, finding that the Reform Party candidate had no "realistic chance to win" the election.