KCRA 3
August 19, 2021

KCRA 3 and San Francisco Chronicle to hold California gubernatorial recall debate on Aug. 25

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — KCRA 3 and the San Francisco Chronicle will hold a live debate in Sacramento with several leading candidates for the California gubernatorial recall election on Wednesday, Aug. 25.

Taking part in the debate will be Republican John Cox, a businessman and accountant who previously ran against Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2018; Republican Kevin Faulconer, a former San Diego mayor, businessman and educator; Republican California Assemblymember Kevin Kiley, who represents suburbs in Sacramento and parts of Placer and El Dorado counties; and Democrat Kevin Paffrath, financial educator, analyst and YouTuber.

KCRA invited other leading candidates to participate in the debate. Newsom’s campaign said the governor will not participate in any debates. Caitlyn Jenner’s campaign and Larry Elder’s campaign said the candidates would only debate Newsom.

"The only way for the results of the recall election to be a reflection of the will of the people is to increase the voter turnout in California," said KCRA 3 and KQCA My58 president and general manager Ariel Roblin. "Recall elections present two questions for every Californian; should the governor be recalled and if the majority vote recalls the governor who will replace him? This debate gives our viewers a chance to learn more about the leading candidates in the event the governor is recalled."

KCRA 3 anchor Gulstan Dart will host the debate and moderators will include Alexei Koseff, San Francisco Chronicle capitol correspondent, and KCRA 3 anchor Edie Lambert

KCRA 3 News Director Derek Schnell said: "As Californians decide an important election in a few short weeks, we think it’s valuable to help voters make an informed decision. This debate will be a statewide discussion about the issues that affect all of us, like the economy, COVID-19, the threat of wildfires and more."

The debate will air live on KCRA 3 and Hearst sister station KSBW, Monterey/Salinas Wednesday from 7 to 8 p.m. It will also air statewide on the following stations:

• KERO-TV in Bakersfield
• KFMB-TV 8.2 San Diego
• KHTK-FM in Sacramento
• KIEM-TV in Eureka
• KNTV-TV 11.2 in San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
• KSBY-TV in Santa Barbara

A livestream of the debate will be available on KCRA.com, KSBW.com and SFChronicle.com.

KMIR-TV, Palm Springs, will also air the debate at 11 a.m. on Aug. 26.

What would you like us to ask during the debate? Click here to submit a question.