Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- The pace of the 2012 race for the White House kicks into high gear Wednesday night , with the first of three Republican presidential debates scheduled over the next 15 days . And while it 's the fourth GOP debate so far this cycle , it 's the first to include Texas Gov . Rick Perry , who jumped into the race for the White House less than one month ago . Joining Perry on the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley , California , will be former Massachusetts Gov . Mitt Romney , who 's making his second bid for the GOP nomination , Rep. Ron Paul of Texas , who 's making third run for the White House , Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota , former House Speaker Newt Gingrich , businessman and former talk show host Herman Cain , former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania , and former Utah Gov . and former U.S . Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman . Five of the candidates -- Romney , Paul , Gingrich , Bachmann and Cain -- met Monday at the Palmetto Freedom Forum in Columbia , South Carolina . Perry was scheduled to attend , but canceled to return home to deal with the wildfires burning across Texas . Perry 's entry into the race last month has dramatically altered the landscape , with the Texas governor on the top of the pack according to six major national polls released in the last three weeks . Romney , the former front-runner in the polls , has now be relegated to second place in the surveys . The three debates this month and two more next month will be major tests for Perry , who does n't have a lot of recent experience debating political rivals . While the spotlight will be on the Texas governor , it will also be shining on Romney . The question for the former Massachusetts governor : Does he attack Perry 's record , or does he keep his line of fire directed at President Barack Obama ? Bachmann 's mission in the debates : Try to grab back the spotlight that Perry grabbed from her on the day of her biggest victory . The Texas governor announced his candidacy on August 13 , just a few hours before Bachmann won a crucial GOP presidential straw poll in Ames , Iowa . For the rest of the candidates on the stage , the objective is to show relevancy . This week 's debate is followed by a CNN/Tea Party Express GOP presidential debate Monday in Tampa , Florida , with another debate in Florida on September 22 . A New Hampshire debate on October 11 is followed a week later by a CNN debate in Las Vegas , Nevada , on October 18 . CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report .
Two more debates are scheduled for September . Texas Gov . Perry is the front ##runner in several recent debates . More debates are expected later in the year .