Newsom Agrees to Debate Dahle in Gubernatorial Forum at KQED

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.”

The format of the debate proposed by KQED would avoid strict time limits for answers and rebuttals. Instead, the candidates will be asked about their records and positions on issues such as housing, homelessness, cost of living, public safety and the environment. It will be a conversational format modeled after KQED’s 2018 gubernatorial debate between Newsom and Republican John Cox.

If Sen. Dahle accepts, the debate would air live on 88.5 FM and 89.3 FM in Northern California. KQED said the debate will be offered to all radio stations in California, along with a video livestream.