Rival Governors Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis Will Face Off in Televised Debate

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a progressive-leaning Democrat, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a far-right Republican, will face off in a televised November debate airing on Fox News.

The network announced Monday that the debate will be moderated by conservative Fox News personality Sean Hannity and will air on the network to coincide with his show on Nov. 30.

A debate between the two governors was floated earlier this year during 55-year-old Newsom's appearance on Hannity's show, when the host said he wanted to feature “the best, brightest leading conservative minds and some of the best, brightest left-wing minds, or liberal minds" in a debate series.

“And the first one I want to do is with you and Gov. DeSantis," Hannity said.

“Great. I’ve offered it. I’ve been trying to debate him for years," Newsom responded.

In a statement announcing the debate, Hannity said he hoped to provide "an informative debate about the everyday issues and governing philosophies that impact the lives of everyday Americans."

In a campaign email sent after the announcement, DeSantis attempted to frame the event as a debate between "revival vs. decline."

DeSantis, 45, is currently running a 2024 presidential campaign — one that's faced several challenges in recent months due to sagging poll numbers and wealthy mega-donors who say they are uninterested in offering financial support to the governor. Once seen as a possible threat to former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary, a recent poll puts him in fifth place.

Newsom, meanwhile, has said he has no plans to launch a 2024 run for president, despite his rising national profile.

Last July, Newsom began airing ads in DeSantis' home state urging residents to "join us in California."

"Freedom is under attack in your state," the Democrat said in the ad, which aired on Fox News affiliates in Florida.

Newsom continued in the ad: "Republican leaders – they're banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors. I urge all of you to join the fight, or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom."

The contrast between the two governors is stark, with Newsom often criticizing the Florida governor for things like the six-week abortion ban he signed into law in April, or the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill that blocks the classroom discussion of certain LGBTQ+ topics among students.

DeSantis, meanwhile, has often attacked Newsom rather than take on former President Donald Trump, who is leading him by double-digits in presidential polls.

At campaign rallies, DeSantis has been soft on critiquing his Republican challenger, but has embraced a feud with Newsom, saying earlier this year that "leftist government is destroying [California]. Leftist government is destroying cities all over our country. It’s destroying other states.”