GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – GOP gubernatorial challenger Tudor Dixon and Democratic incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will make history when they take the stage on Thursday for the first of two debates before next month’s election.

It’s the first time in the state’s history that two women have sparred for the top job. Both Dixon and Whitmer are moms to daughters. They’ve both lost a parent to cancer. They come from a business background. Dixon worked for Michigan Steel, a foundry in Muskegon owned by her late father, Vaughn Makary. The governor’s father, Dick Whitmer, served as CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

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The similarities end there, as the ideologies between Dixon and Whitmer could not be further apart. Here are the issues where their performance on the debate stage could make or break their candidacy:

ECONOMY/BUSINESS. Dixon and Whitmer both have different perceptions of Michigan’s economy. Dixon has scolded Whitmer over her inability to keep Michigan’s native son, Ford Motor Company, from moving plants to Kentucky and Tennessee. Whitmer said she didn’t know anything about it.

Last week, Whitmer announced 30,000 jobs since taking office. Dixon countered with “job announcements are not real jobs.” She mentioned the thousands of small businesses which shuttered under Whitmer’s coronavirus shutdowns. In addition, Whitmer boasted about hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in several projects, including a Chinese company.

Dixon says that on the campaign trail she’s discovered that Michigan is still “hostile” to businesses despite the lifting of coronavirus restrictions. She says this prevents businesses from wanting to build in Michigan.

ABORTION. Dixon has described herself as a “conservative mom running against a far-left birthing parent.” She is a mother to four daughters and has spoken openly about giving birth to a stillborn daughter. She is staunchly pro-life and is endorsed by Michigan Right to Life-PAC.

Whitmer, a mom to two daughters, has repeatedly said she will “fight like hell” for the legal right to abortion up through all nine months of pregnancy. She’s kept abortion legal in the state through various lawsuits and injunctions. Her campaign has shelled out millions of dollars on ads that paint Dixon as an anti-abortion radical.

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CRIME. Dixon’s first major post-primary move came last month when she unveiled her $1 billion Building a Safer State strategy to end what she referred to as Whitmer’s “violent crime wave” and increase law enforcement recruitment and retainment. According to her campaign, Dixon’s strategy would “invest $1 billion new dollars over the next four years to recruit and retain over 5,000 new local officers, over 5,000 new fire/EMS personnel, 500 state troopers, and 2,000 state and local corrections officers.” FBI data shows Michigan ranked 17th in the nation when it comes to violent crime. In addition, Dixon has received the endorsement of 22 sheriffs across the state, including one Democrat.

Whitmer has acknowledged that crime is up across the country, and has spent two years backpedaling from comments in June 2020 in which she said she supports the “spirit of defunding the police.” Last month, Whitmer signed several bills aimed at boosting police patrols on roads, and increasing officer retention efforts at local sheriff departments.

EDUCATION. Whitmer has boasted her “historic education budget” when she signed the budget in July, and touted the “highest state per-student investment in Michigan history.” Dixon has pushed back, saying money doesn’t automatically fix anything. She pointed out the state’s abysmal reading scores among third graders, and says the radical LGBTQ agenda is distracting kids from learning the basics.

POLITICAL TIES. Dixon received a coveted endorsement from former President Donald Trump just four days before the August 2 primary election. This appeared to push her ahead of the other four candidates, but a Trump endorsement can also come with baggage. Dixon has attempted to use the popularity of the former president to her advantage while at the same time distancing herself from election fraud theories.

Whitmer, a lifelong Democrat, has appeared to distance herself from President Joe Biden. She repeatedly referred to Biden as a “good friend” leading up to the 2020 election. Lately, she’s been mum on whether or not her good friend should run for reelection in 2024. The closest she’s come to making a statement is holding hands with him at the 2022 North American International Auto Show in Detroit last month.

The gubernatorial debate airs on WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids on Thursday, October 13 at 7 p.m.

The general election is November 8.