Republican gubernatorial candidates Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman will hold their first debate Monday, when they will answer questions on the state budget, economic issues and planning for California's future.
The hourlong debate at the Samueli Theater at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa will be closed to the public but accessible online beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Moderator Conan Nolan of NBC4 will ask questions submitted by the public via the Internet. Each candidate will be given two minutes to answer, followed by one-minute rebuttals, said Ashley Giovannettone of The New Majority, the political action committee that organized the debate. Each candidate will have three minutes to make a closing statement.
The debate will be divided into three major segments -- budget/taxes/government spending; jobs and the economy; and planning for California's future.
The format will be a "town hall setting," on an open stage without lecterns. The candidates will use handheld microphones, Giovannettone said.
