SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Republican incumbent Tim Huelskamp and Democratic challenger Jim Sherow are preparing for their first debate in the race for Kansas’ 1st Congressional District seat.

The two will take part Tuesday night in a candidate forum hosted by the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters at Kansas Wesleyan University.

The event begins at 6 p.m. featuring local races for Saline County Commission and state Legislature. The congressional debate starts at 8 p.m.

Huelskamp, a tea party favorite, represents a largely rural district in western and central Kansas. He is seeking his third, two-year term.

Sherow is a Kansas State University history professor and former Manhattan mayor. He’s backed by a group of moderate Republican former state legislators called Traditional Republicans for Common Sense.