Democrat Kevin Paffrath and Republicans John Cox, Kevin Faulconer and Kevin Kiley are expected to appear at the Wednesday evening debate.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and his top Republican rival heading into next month’s gubernatorial recall election are both expected to skip a debate scheduled to take place in Sacramento Wednesday evening. Newsom is fighting to stay in office through the end of his term but could be removed early if more than 50 percent of California voters decide to recall him in the statewide September 14 special election. The Democratic governor has not appeared at any of the recall debates held thus far and is not expected to participate in the Wednesday debate hosted by KCRA-TV and The San Francisco Chronicle. Newsom’s campaign told Politico earlier this summer that, instead of participating in debates with his Republican challengers, the governor would be “leading our economic recovery and tackling our state’s most pressing challenges—like homelessness, disparities in education, and our aging infrastructure.” A spokesperson for Newsom’s campaign reiterated those comments when contacted by Newsweek last month after the first recall debate was announced. Less than three weeks remain until voters decide whether to keep Newsom in office. If he is recalled, the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes will succeed him.
