Fourth Republican debate LIVE: The battle to catch up to Trump hits Alabama - with Haley, DeSantis, Christie and Ramaswamy taking the stage at 8pm

Megyn Kelly returns as a debate moderator for the crucial night for the candidates in the Republican presidential race.

Four White House hopefuls will take the stage in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with just six weeks until the Iowa caucuses.

Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are tusseling for second behind the frontrunner Donald Trump.

Chris Christie, who only just qualified for the debate, needs a star performance to jump back into contention.

Vivek Ramaswamy is also looking for another surge in the polls after his combative performance in Miami for the third debate.

Nearly two-thirds of potential Republican primary voters said they plan to watch at least part of tonight's fourth GOP primary debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The latest polling from Morning Consult found that 34 percent of potential GOP voters planned to watch the whole two-hour long show, while another 30 percent said they planned to watch some of it.

Just 25 percent said they wouldn't tune into the debate at all.

Former President Donald Trump, the far-and-away frontrunner of the Republican pack, is again skipping the event.

So far, Trump's no-shows haven't put a dent in his lead, though more than 75 percent of GOP voters stake some importance on the debates.

Forty percent of those polled by Morning Consult said the debates were very important while another 36 percent said they were somewhat important.

Only 6 percent said they weren't important at all.

Three women are moderating the fourth Republican presidential primary debate.

SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly, formerly of Fox News, is returning to the GOP debates after he showdown with Trump in the 2016 cycle remains on of the most watched debates in history.

NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas and Washington Free Beacon Editor-in-Chief Eliana Johnson are also taking seats behind the moderator desk.

Megyn Kelly posted an image of herself getting her hair and makeup done before the debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie qualified to debate for the fourth Republican primary showdown on Wednesday.

NewsNation is hosting the debate at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Rumble and NewsNationNow.com are livestreaming the debate from 8:00-10:00 PM ET.

It will also be broadcast on NewsNation, The CW and its affiliates in other time zones.

Stand-ins assume positions behind the debate podiums in preparations for the fourth Republican presidential primary debate at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday afternoon