Gov. Gavin Newsom has agreed to participate Oct. 23 in a live, in-studio debate at KQED with his Republican opponent, state Sen. Brian Dahle.
Dahle has not formally accepted the invitation, but his campaign has said he would debate Newsom “anywhere, anytime.”
If Dahle agrees, it will be the first confirmed face-off between California’s two gubernatorial candidates. KQED’s Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos will serve as moderators.
Dahle, a Republican from Lassen County, finished nearly 40 points behind Newsom in the June primary, and has recently stepped up his calls for the Democratic incumbent to debate him before the November 8 election.
“We live in an era of echo chambers and siloed political messaging, which means civic discourse and public debate is more valuable than ever,” said Ethan Toven-Lindsey, KQED’s vice president of news. “We are proud to be able to provide a space for these two candidates to share their differing visions for California, in full view of the public and the voters.”