ROCHESTER, Mich. (WXYZ) — The televised GOP gubernatorial debate Wednesday night will be the last most public chance the candidates will have before the August 2nd primaries to distinguish themselves.
Tim Kiska, a professor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, will be paying close attention to hear what sets the candidates apart.
“I’m kind of curious about the differences among the group,” explained Kiska.
He, like many Michiganders, has been focused on certain topics in the headlines.
“There are so many issues, inflation, Roe vs. Wade, the economy in the state. How are we doing? How is the infrastructure doing?” asked Kiska
He said the issues have changed so much in just the past few months, and he could see them shifting dramatically again.
“I think that you could conceivably see something happening between here and November which changes the whole calculus,” explained Kiska.
One of the moderators for Wednesday’s debate is WXYZ Editorial Director Chuck Stokes.
"What it does is it puts the candidates side-by-side. And so you get a chance to hear where they stand on the big issues of today, those things that affect Michiganders,” Stokes explained.
He wouldn’t divulge the exact questions the candidates would be asked. He said they’ll be Michigan-specific types of questions, and some of them might have national undertones.
“Education is a big issue. Safety in terms of whether it’s police officers or its the average citizen on the street. It’s kids in our schools. Jobs. What are they going to do to make sure that we create an environment that produces wonderful jobs in the state of Michigan and makes us a very competitive state,” said Stokes
He said infrastructure will also be a prominent topic.
"People want to know, what is the quality of life when I get in my car and I go out. What kind of infrastructure am I facing, what kind of water is coming into my home. And then of course there are always budgetary issues. People can say, you know, that talk I cheap and a lot of times you hear leaders say all sorts of things. But if you really want to know where their heart is, look at the budgets that they present to the legislature. What are their priorities?” said Stokes.
