Candidates for Missouri’s 6th District congressional seat will gather in St. Joseph Thursday night for a televised debate.

Incumbent Rep. Sam Graves and challenger Kay Barnes will square off at 7 p.m. in the Kemper Recital Hall at Missouri Western State University.

The hour-long debate will be televised live on St. Joe Now, Cablevision Channel 3.

A limited number of tickets are available through the respective campaigns and the county Democratic and Republican committees.

It will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two candidates.

Ms. Barnes and Mr. Graves also plan to appear at forums sponsored by the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce in Kansas City, at noon on Oct. 21, and by the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce, at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 24. The latter event, which will be held at the Ramada Inn, was postponed from an earlier date.

Thursday’s debate is being sponsored by the St. Joseph News-Press.

Mr. Graves, a Republican from Tarkio, Mo., has served in Congress since 2001 and seeks a fifth term.

Ms. Barnes, a Democrat who was born in St. Joseph, served two terms as mayor of Kansas City, where she now resides.

The 6th District encompasses 26 counties in the northwestern region of Missouri, including parts of Kansas City and its suburbs.