Republican candidate Rand Paul is fighting to be included on the main stage of next GOP primary debate, which will be hosted by Fox Business Thursday night.

Fox Business announced on Monday that the primetime debate will include only the top seven candidates in the crowded Republican field. Those candidates -- Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and John Kasich -- will be featured at 9 p.m. EST. Meanwhile, Paul and Carly Fiorina have been designated to the undercard debate at 6 p.m. EST, along with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

According to criteria established by the network, the Kentucky senator failed to qualify on the main stage based on his average in five recent national polls. He also failed to get enough traction to be listed in the top five in Iowa or New Hampshire.

Initially, Paul responded to the disappointing announcement by planning to boycott the Republican primary debate in South Carolina. Now, he is arguing that he should have the opportunity to debate on the main stage based on the results of a recent Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll in Iowa, which lists him in fifth place. However, the poll is not being consider by Fox executives because it was released on Wednesday, two days after the Monday deadline.

"It occurred within the window of time they prescribed," Paul argued in an interview with The Washington Post. "We're [hoping] they will reevaluate and count this poll, which comes after the NBC/Marist poll, which also had us alone in fifth place. Our campaign is talking with them about re-evaluating the decision."

He also accused the Republican Party of trying to "push people off the stage. If the Republican Party wants to expand its appeal, it's going to need to attract libertarian-ish leaning voters. If it tries to push liberty voters out, by being disenfranchised or by limiting the debates, there are big risks in doing that. There are a lot of close races around the country where we're going to need those voters."

Paul reiterated his point in another interview, saying "Without question the new poll would have me on the debate stage," according to PBS News.

Fox Business, however, issued a statement Wednesday morning refusing to give any candidate a second look. Still, that has not stopped Paul from making media rounds to make his case.

During an appearance MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Wednesday, he stated, "I don't think anybody in the media should decide or have an artificial designation on who can and who cannot win, and that's what it does."

He also made his case on CNN's "New Day" Thursday morning, telling host Alisyn Camerota, "I have an important voice. What do you think the liberty movement, the liberty voters in the Republican Party are thinking now? That the Republican Party in league with the media networks is saying we're not going to let the liberty candidate on the stage."

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