(NEXSTAR) – Six candidates all vying to lead the nation’s most populous state will duke it out on the debate stage Wednesday night in the California gubernatorial debate hosted by Nexstar.
Nexstar, the parent company of this local news site, will air the debate starting at 7 p.m.
How to watch the California governor’s debate
The race for governor has been a wild one in California thus far, with recent dropouts shaking up the race. Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign and resigned from Congress earlier this month amid mounting sexual assault allegations. Former State Controller Betty Yee announced on Monday she’d also be dropping out citing low polling numbers.
Nexstar conducted a new poll to determine the final candidates who will attend the debate this week, landing on two Republicans and four Democrats, all polling above the 5% threshold. The Republicans are conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. On the Democratic side, we have businessman and activist Tom Steyer, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Rep. Katie Porter and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.
With all the twists and turns in the race, many Californians find themselves undecided with less than six weeks to make their choice before the primary election.
Here’s what to watch for in Wednesday night’s highly anticipated gubernatorial debate.
Californians’ No. 1 issue
Voters will be watching to see who best addresses the top issue concerning Californians today: affordability.
According to recent polling by the Public Policy Institute of California, the biggest problem for voters is the cost of living and housing in the Golden State.
Will candidates offer specific solutions for California’s housing crisis on Wednesday? While the candidates tend to agree the state needs more housing at lower prices, they differ on how they think we should get there.
Mahan’s approach focuses on lowering taxes and cutting bureaucratic red tape. Steyer’s official campaign website delves a bit more into the nitty gritty of housing politics in California, addressing upzoning and modular housing construction. Other candidates don’t have as many specific policy ideas listed online – though they may bring them to the debate stage.
Will one Republican outshine the other?
Believe it or not, in famously blue California, the two candidates polling highest heading into the debate are two Republicans. According to the latest Nexstar Media Group/Emerson College poll, Steve Hilton has the most support with 17% of those responding. Behind him is Chad Bianco with 14%.
The numbers show Hilton, a former Fox News host, has an edge over the Riverside County sheriff, but the margin isn’t huge. While Hilton’s vision for the state focuses on reducing taxes and boosting students’ test scores, Bianco’s priorities focus a bit more on public safety and the state’s southern border.
The two will need to distinguish themselves for the nearly 6 million Californians who are registered as Republicans – and the many more who are independent or whose votes are otherwise up for grabs.
One of them has already earned President Donald Trump’s support. The president endorsed Hilton this month, calling him a “truly fine man.”
Will we have a Democratic frontrunner?
The Democratic field is even more crowded – so crowded, in fact, there have been fears among liberals that a split vote combined with California’s “jungle primary” could land two Republicans on the final ballot in November.
The four Democrats at the debate Wednesday will all be hoping they can end the night as the party’s clear favorite. Here’s how they stand ahead of the debate:
Tom Steyer: 14%
Xavier Becerra: 10%
Katie Porter: 10%
Matt Mahan: 5%
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond got the support of 3% and 1% of respondents, respectively, but that wasn’t enough to qualify them for the debate stage.
But the largest share of respondents, 23%, actually responded that they were undecided. That’s a lot of votes that could go to a potential breakout star.
Personal vs. policy
While the questions Wednesday night will be policy-focused, there’s always the chance candidates will decide to take personal shots instead.
Porter, for example, may find herself having to defend her temperament after a contentious viral moment late last year between the Democrat and a CBS News reporter. She has already taken heat on the subject from former gubernatorial candidate Betty Yee, who called Porter “unfit to lead California.”
Yee has since dropped out of the race and endorsed Tom Steyer. The billionaire may also end up facing questions on Wednesday about his past business interests and investments, some of which are starkly at odds with his current campaign platforms.
Talking money
Speaking of business interests, Steyer isn’t the only one with money running for governor – though he is by far the wealthiest. Where each candidate is getting campaign money from could come up as a proxy for who supports them.
Matt Mahan has garnered support from Silicon Valley and tech interests, while Steve Hilton has had big donations from Fox media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Campaign filings show support from health care unions for Katie Porter and law enforcement interests for Chad Bianco. Xavier Becerra’s donors include Chevron. Tom Steyer has spent a lot of his own money, plus received donations from other business leaders.