The first GOP governor's debate in Kentucky is Tuesday. Here's how to watch

The first debate of Kentucky's 2023 race for governor is Tuesday night, with the Jefferson County Republican Party hosting four of its candidates running for the office.

Here are the details on how to watch the televised debate and what candidates are participating.

Who is participating in the debate?

The Jefferson County GOP invited five candidates to the debate, with four accepting and one declining.

The four who will accepted and will be on hand for the debate are Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, state Auditor Mike Harmon and Somerset Mayor Alan Keck.

Former United Nations ambassador Kelly Craft, who has been flooding the airwaves with campaign commercials, declined to attend. Her campaign has not said why she won't attend.

There are 12 Republicans running for governor, with candidates invited to participate based on "cumulative fundraising totals" and "criteria set forth by the JCRP."

More:Pro-Craft PAC hits Daniel Cameron in first attack ad as 'soft, establishment teddy bear'

Where and when can I watch the GOP governor's debate?

The debate will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The debate will air live on Spectrum News 1 and be moderated by anchor Mario Anderson.

The live debate at The Henry Clay Building in Louisville is closed to the public, but the county GOP is hosting a separate viewing event in the Grand Ballroom of the building. Tickets for the event are $25, go to the local Republican Party and can be purchased on its website.

More:Poll: Andy Beshear tops 4 key Republican candidates in 2023 Kentucky governor's election

Who's the favorite in the Kentucky GOP governor's primary?

The latest polling on the GOP primary for governor, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy in January, had Cameron out to a sizable lead, with respondents giving him 39%, followed by Craft with 13%, Quarles with 8%, Harmon with 5% and Keck with 2%.

While Craft has apparent ground to catch up on Cameron, she did lead all GOP candidates in fundraising by the end of 2022 and has spent well over $1 million running TV ads since late December.

More:Kentucky GOP primary for governor will be expensive. This new PAC may help one candidate

Craft also has an unauthorized campaign committee supporting her, as Commonwealth PAC is now running $600,000 worth of TV ads across the state over the next two weeks, which attack Cameron as a "soft, establishment teddy bear" and "no strong Kentucky conservative."

Cameron, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, was just behind Craft in fundraising at the end of 2022 and also has an unauthorized campaign committee supporting his candidacy, though neither the PAC nor his campaign have made any significant ad buys.

Whoever wins the GOP primary on May 16 will likely face incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in the general election, which the same independent pollster found in January had a significant lead over Cameron, Craft, Quarles and Harmon in a hypothetical general election matchup.

Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky GOP governor's debate: How to watch, stream Tuesday