How to watch Thursday's debate between Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis

California Gov. Gavin Newsom may not be running for president or, well, anything at the moment. But that isn't stopping him from hopping onto a debate stage this week.

The second-term Democratic governor is heading to Georgia to face off against his Florida counterpart (and current Republican presidential candidate), Ron DeSantis, in a nationally-televised showdown about the economy, immigration, crime and other issues.

It's not Trump vs. Biden or even a presidential debate at all — even if many observers won’t be able to escape the feeling that both men surely wish it were.

But if you can get past the lack of immediate stakes, the debate could offer a unique chance to see the political philosophies of the governors perhaps mostly closely associated with America’s current culture wars hashed out in real time.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that California and Florida have many similarities to go along with their much remarked-upon differences: They both boast sunny climates, long coastlines, major agriculture industries and racially diverse populations, not to mention Disney theme parks.

And if nothing else, the debate will offer Americans a chance to watch a debate between two high-profile politicians who haven’t yet turned 60, which is something they haven’t been able to get from an actual presidential debate in over 20 years. So it may not be the last time the two men face off.

When is the debate?

The 90-minute debate will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30. It will be held without a live audience in Alpharetta, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb. Georgia is a longtime Republican stronghold that has trended bluer in recent presidential and senate elections.

Following the debate, host Sean Hannity will provide live reaction from a panel of guests from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

How to watch

The debate is being broadcast on Fox News and will also be simulcast on Fox News Radio, which can be streamed online at radio.foxnews.com/listen.

Who is the host?

The debate will be hosted by Hannity, a conservative commentator and Fox News personality. Despite his leanings, Hannity has said in promotions for the debate that he respects Newsom and finds him “extraordinarily personable.” And he has said he intends the debate to be fair, with equal speaking time for both candidates.

How did this debate come about?

DeSantis and Newsom’s contrasting philosophies and the divergent paths of their states have become increasingly apparent since they both were elected governor in 2018, with much attention being given to the states’ diverging approaches to handling the COVID-19 pandemic.But things heated up in July 2022 when Newsom bought a $105,000 TV spot on Fox News criticizing DeSantis and Florida’s approach to abortion and other issues and encouraging Floridians to “join us in California.” Later in the summer, Newsom took to Twitter to challenge DeSantis to the debate after former TV news anchor Dan Rather suggested they do so.

“Since you have only one overriding need — attention — let's take this up and debate,” Newsom tweeted at DeSantis. “I’ll bring the hair gel. You bring the hairspray.”

The two then went back and forth about the terms of the debate, with DeSantis eventually saying during an appearance on Hannity's show this year that he would agree to debate Newsom.

How popular are the two politicians?

While it initially appeared that DeSantis would be a formidable opponent for Donald Trump when he announced a run for president last May, he has struggled to gain traction. DeSantis is polling at only about 13% nationally, down from a peak of about 35% shortly after he announced his run, according to the polling aggregation and analysis website FiveThirtyEight. He still narrowly remains the second highest polling candidate after Trump.

Meanwhile, Newsom was elected governor twice in heavily Democratic California. But a poll conducted by UC-Berkley and the Los Angeles Times in late October found that his approval rating among California voters was 44%, down from 55% in February, according to the Times.

A recent poll from Florida Atlantic University also found that DeSantis’ approval rating has been dropping in Florida, with the state’s voters now split when it comes to whether they approve DeSantis.

More: DeSantis vs. Newsom debate: Governors' stances on abortion, homelessness, Obamacare

Paul Albani-Burgio covers breaking news and the city of Palm Springs. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How to watch Thursday's Gavin Newsom-Ron DeSantis debate