Here's how the upcoming California governor debates could shape the race -- and how to watch

The leading candidates vying to be the next governor of California will step onto the debate stage three separate times in the coming weeks, giving them a final chance to make their pitch to voters in prime time before ballots land in mailboxes next month.

“It’s hard to overstate how important these debates are going to be,” said Melinda Jackson, a political science professor at San Jose State University.

The debates, the first of which is on Wednesday, come amid a major shakeup in the race following Eric Swalwell’s exit this month over sexual misconduct allegations that political experts say has finally led to voters paying attention to the contest for the state’s highest office.

The field of candidates hasn’t squared off since the first statewide televised debate in the race Feb. 3. A second debate that had been scheduled for Mar. 24 was canceled amid criticism over the qualification criteria that excluded lower-polling candidates.

Jackson said the stakes are particularly high for San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who has struggled to break through despite the fanfare around his entrance into the race and a hefty campaign war chest funded in large part by wealthy tech donors. An independent expenditure committee supporting the mayor’s gubernatorial bid raised more than $12 million in the week following Swalwell’s suspension of his campaign, and is the middle of a three-week $14 million statewide ad blitz.

Jackson said that at the debates — he is expected to participate in all three — Mahan will need to establish his “credibility” as a candidate since he doesn’t have widespread name recognition beyond the Bay Area, while also differentiating himself from his tech backers.

“A lot of voters have mixed feelings about billionaires, especially tech billionaires, funding his campaign,” she said. “So he’s got to make the case for himself for many voters who have never heard of him before while also trying to tell his story of a middle-class upbringing, sort of the embodiment of the American dream, rather than just a tech bro.”

Jackson expects affordability — specifically as it relates to housing, groceries and gas — to be hot button issues at the debates. She also believes President Donald Trump will be a big talking point, especially given his recent endorsement of former Fox News Host Steve Hilton, who is one of the leading Republicans in the race. Democrats are heavily favored in the race, leading Republicans 2-to-1 in voter registration statewide.

“The Trump factor is important to California Democrats,” Jackson said. “They want a governor who will stand up to Trump in the way that Gavin Newsom has been doing in the last couple of years.”

The political science professor said that it’s an area where former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra has a “real advantage because he can talk about his record as attorney general” — a role he held between 2017 and 2021. During that time, he sued the Trump administration on California’s behalf more than 120 times.

Becerra’s campaign has seen the big swing in momentum following Swalwell dropping out of the race, with a recent independent poll from Emerson College showing a 15-point bump among Democratic voters only behind billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer.

Mike Madrid, a GOP strategist, said in an interview that the race is still “very fluid” and that there’s “going to be some volatility” as more voters start to pay attention. Madrid attended Becerra’s Los Angeles rally over the weekend to speak with voters — many of whom were still undecided — and said that a vast majority were looking for someone with experience.

With three televised debates coming up, he said that the candidates will likely make the biggest impact on voters if they can distinguish themselves from the rest of the field by discussing their specific policy proposals on issues like housing and health care.

“They’re all going to talk about how aggressively anti-Trump they are,” Madrid said of the Democratic candidates. “But I think voters are finally at a point where they’re saying the best way to be anti-Trump is to solve problems, and that’s the case that’s going to have to be made.”

When are the upcoming debates and where can I watch?

The first debate will be held on Wednesday April 22 at 7 p.m. at KRON4’s studio in San Francisco. It will air on KRON4 and online at KRON4.com. The debate will be moderated by Inside California Politics host Nikki Laurenzo and KTLA anchor Frank Buckley. The debate will be 90 minutes long and the last 30 minutes will only air online.

The second debate will be held on Tuesday, April 28 at 5:30 p.m. at Pomona College. It will air on KPIX in the Bay Area and online at the station’s Youtube channel as well as at cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco. A pre-debate show will run from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the debate will conclude at 7 p.m.

The final debate will be hosted by CNN on Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m. and will be moderated by anchors Elex Michaelson and Kaitlan Collins. The debate will last two hours and will air on CNN and online at CNN.com for paying subscribers.

Which candidates are attending the debates?

Each debate has different criteria to qualify.

The April 22 debate will feature six candidates — Republicans Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Democrats Steyer, Becerra, Mahan and former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter.

The April 28 debate will likely have the largest field with Hilton, Bianco, Mahan, Steyer, Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. Porter was invited but had not confirmed her participation as of Monday.

The eligibility for the May 6 CNN debate will close on April 7 — eligible candidates must be polling at 3% or higher in two polls that meets CNN’s standards. So far, seven candidates have qualified — Bianco, Hilton, Becerra, Mahan, Porter, Steyer and Villaraigosa.