5 things to watch for in the California gubernatorial debate on Wednesday

(NEXSTAR) – Six candidates all vying to lead the nation’s most populous state will duke it out on the debate stage Wednesday night in the California gubernatorial debate hosted by Nexstar. 

Nexstar, the parent company of The Hill and NewsNation, will air the debate starting at 7 p.m.

The race for governor has been a wild one in California thus far, with recent dropouts shaking up the race. Former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) suspended his campaign and resigned from Congress earlier this month amid mounting sexual assault allegations. Former State Controller Betty Yee announced on Monday she’d also be dropping out citing low polling numbers.

Nexstar conducted a new poll to determine the final candidates who will attend the debate this week, landing on two Republicans and four Democrats, all polling above the 5 percent threshold in the latest statewide survey.

The Republicans are conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. On the Democratic side, we have businessman and activist Tom Steyer, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Rep. Katie Porter and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. 

With all the twists and turns in the race, many Californians find themselves undecided with less than six weeks to make their choice before the primary election.

Here’s what to watch for in Wednesday night’s highly anticipated gubernatorial debate. 

Californians’ No. 1 issue

Voters will be watching to see who best addresses the top issue concerning Californians today: affordability. 

According to recent polling by the Public Policy Institute of California, the biggest problem for voters is the cost of living and........

© The Hill