3 things to watch for in the Nikki Haley-Ron DeSantis Republican debate

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are squaring off at a CNN debate in Iowa on Wednesday night, just days before the caucuses there start the Republican primary race.

Both Haley and DeSantis are vying to be the main alternative to former President Donald Trump but both still remain tens of points behind Trump in the state and by varying margins in other early primary states, according to 538's polling averages.

Their expected debate clash comes as Haley finds herself on a bit of an upswing in the polls while also grappling with recent controversy from some of her campaign trail comments as DeSantis looks to regain his footing as the No. 2 from earlier in the race — hoping a strong finish in Iowa next week can prove his support with GOP voters.

Here are three things to watch in Wednesday night's debate.

Both Haley and DeSantis have looked to hit Trump on the trail in recent weeks, though neither — unlike former rival Chris Christie — has made that criticism a centerpiece of their campaigns. The CNN debate could offer an opportunity to directly target him or, instead, go after one another as his main opponent.

Haley has dubbed the former president (and her old boss, as his U.N. ambassador) an agent of chaos, repeating in various events that he was the right person to back in 2016 but that it's now time for voters to turn the page.

«I agree with a lot of his policies. But, rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him. You know I'm right. But we can't have a country in disarray and a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos. We won't survive it,» she told supporters at a campaign stop in Iowa on Tuesday.

DeSantis, meanwhile, has knocked Trump for ducking all of the primary debates and told