DeSantis, lagging in polls, to debate Newsom in Georgia
Rival governors to clash in battleground Georgia
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, struggling to gain traction in the 2024 race for the White House, will debate Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Fox News this November, live from battleground Georgia.
The unusual 90-minute strip will be moderated by right-leaning radio host and Fox personality Sean Hannity in what will be an epic showdown between clashing political ideologies in the country’s two largest states.
DeSantis, a conservative firebrand who has overseen the Sunshine State’s transformation from perpetual battleground to solidly Republican, is a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. But he and his opponents are struggling to break the iron grip that former President Donald Trump has on the party’s base. The governor is being swamped on the media airwaves, has had trouble raising money and has fallen to third and even fourth place in some early states.
His November 30 debate with Newsom will take place roughly a month before the first votes are cast.
Newsom, on the other hand, is not a candidate for President — at least not yet. The liberal lion has declined to run in 2024 and has unequivocally endorsed President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign. Nevertheless, Newsom is talked about as a White House candidate down the line. Some even see him as an emergency option for Democrats in 2024 if Biden drops out.
The Golden State happens to be the site of this week’s Republican presidential debate, which is also being hosted by Fox News. Reports say that Newsom will be in attendance as a surrogate for Biden’s campaign.
The 55-year-old Newsom and the 45-year-old DeSantis are by no means political newcomers, but they are seen as fresh faces on a national stage dominated by Biden, who is 80, and Trump, who is 77.
The exact location of the debate has yet to be determined.