Gov. Brown And Neel Kashkari Facing Off In Only Gubernatorial Debate
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS/AP) - Gov. Jerry Brown and his Republican challenger are meeting for what is likely to be the only gubernatorial debate this election season.
Thursday night's debate comes as a new Field Poll finds Brown has a lead of 16 percentage points among likely voters over Neel Kashkari, a former U.S. Treasury official who helped lead the national bank bailout.
Click here at 7 p.m. to watch the debate.
Kashkari has made poverty and inequality centerpieces of his campaign, and both topics promise to figure prominently during the debate in a television studio across from the Capitol.
Education reform, the $68 billion high-speed rail project and the state's business climate are other possible subjects of disagreement.
Brown is likely to call attention to Kashkari's lead role in overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which bailed out national banks and investment houses.
Kashkari had asked for ten debates, but Brown agreed to just one. He was feeling confident about the event when he took to social media.
Each candidate will get one minute to make his opening statement. Gov. Brown won a coin toss and will make the first statement. A second con toss for the question phase was won by Kashkari, meaning he will get the first question.
Three journalists will be asking Brown and Kashkari questions, with 15-18 questions in total expected to be asked.
The candidates are not allowed to use props or notes, nor will they be able to ask questions to each other. A moderator will enforce the time limit and when each candidate has 15 seconds left, a yellow light will go on. When their time is up, a red light will turn on.
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