The three major Republican candidates for Missouri's U.S. Senate nomination will debate tonight at Washington University.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the debate will include U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, former Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman and businessman John Brunner.

KMOV-TV is hosting the event. It will air on Channel 4 at 7 p.m.

Akin, Steelman and Brunner are the frontrunners in an eight candidate race for the GOP nomination in the Aug. 7 primary.

The winner will go up against incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in the Nov. 6 general election.

The debate will begin at 7 p.m. at Washington University's Edison Theater. Tickets are free, and can be obtained through any of the three candidates' campaign organizations. Steelman and Brunner's web sites don't make mention of available tickets; Akin's site says to call (636) 207-7986 today.