ORLANDO, Fla. — Two governors from two very prominent states will go head-to-head in a 90-minute debate Thursday night in Georgia.

Governors Ron DeSantis, (R) of Florida and Gavin Newsom, (D) of California have been publicly battling it out for a while with their opposing opinions on issues like immigration, gun control and abortion.

However, experts believe tonight’s debate will focus a little more on each governor’s accomplishments within their states rather than on White House politics.

What You Need To Know

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom with go head-to-head in a debate, starting at  9 p.m. ET in Alpharetta, GA

  • The two governors have publicly disagreed on a number of issues, including gun control, abortion and immigration

  • DeSantis is running in the 2024 presidential election and experts believe Newsom might be using the debate to build national attention for a 2028 run

With DeSantis making his run for the 2024 presidential race, Eckerd College professor Anthony Brunello said this debate could be a good thing for him. Unlike other debates where presidential candidates spend a lot of time arguing over each other, Brunello says Newsom is not running for anything, allowing DeSantis time to answer questions at length since it’s just the two of them. He said that’s also one of the most interesting things about this debate.

“I think that Gov. Newsom sees himself as going on into enemy territory, and that he’s not afraid to battle anybody, anytime, anywhere,” said Brunello.

The two have historically not agreed on a lot of major issues, and their cross-country debating has already been underway publicly regarding topics like immigration and gun control. Although Brunello said he believes Newsom is backing current President Joe Biden for re-election, the debate could be a sign that he’s looking to run for himself in 2028.

“I believe people are looking at it like a red state vs a blue state, but you will actually see the anti-woke voice, and one of the loudest anti-woke voices in Gov. DeSantis, taking on a governor who is just the polar opposite of that,” Brunello said.

If things go well for DeSantis, Brunello said this would be a great opportunity for him to grow his support, drawing more attention to himself and his plans.

“I think that Gov. DeSantis, probably at this point and time with the way his campaign is evolving; maybe he sees this as a way for himself to recharge his national persona,” said Brunello.

Former President Donald Trump is currently leading as the GOP’s 2024 candidate. The debate will be moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity in Georgia starting at 9 p.m. ET.