The top candidates in the race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Michigan will be facing off once again.
WXYZ-TV, along with our sister stations in Lansing and Grand Rapids, will be hosting the debate at Oakland University in Rochester.
You can watch the debate live at 7 p.m. on Channel 7 and on your favorite streaming platform
The five candidates taking the stage tonight are Tudor Dixon, Ryan Kelley, Kevin Rinke, Garrett Soldano and Ralph Rebandt.
One of the debate moderators, WXYZ Editorial Director Chuck Stokes, joined us this morning to preview the debate. Below are his answers to our questions, with answers edited for length and clarity.
How can these candidates separate themselves from the field and stand out?
Tonight will give them an opportunity to do that two weeks before people have to go to vote. This 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. We're trying to be cognizant of the fact that we ask questions that affect Michiganders, not questions that may be relevant to someone in Wyoming or Florida. That these are Michigan-specific types of questions. That doesn't mean they aren't national issues that have overtones in this state, but these are issues that concern you and your neighbors.
What are some of the issues Michigan voters are focused on?
Certainly, education is a big issue, safety in terms of whether police officers or the average citizen on the street, kids in our schools, jobs, creating an environment that produces jobs in the state. Infrastructure is a big one, you can hit that from 1,000 different ways, but people want to know what the quality of life is when they get in their car. Then of course there are budgetary issues, what are their priorities? We'll be asking those type of questions so we can understand the differences between the candidates.
