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6th District: What to watch for during tonight's debate

ATLANTA — Georgia’s 6th District House seat may serve a compact portion of the north Atlanta suburbs, but national issues are likely to dominate the first head-to-head debate between Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff tonight.

The duo will meet in primetime on Channel 2 Action News at 8 p.m. It's the first of two confirmed faceoffs between Ossoff and Handel as early voting continues ahead of Election Day on June 20.

The debate will be livestreamed on WSBTV.com and the official WSB-TV Facebook page.

A bad performance for either could prove to be a stumbling block in a three-county district where tens of millions are being spent to capture the attention of voters. More than $36 million has been spent on the race so far, according to a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis, making the contest the most expensive in the history of the U.S. House.

The latest polls show Ossoff ahead of Handel, but still within the margin of error.

“We’re looking at a dead heat. Probably right now we’re within a 2 to 3 point margin either way. Really, either candidate could win that,” said Mark Rountree, the president of Landmark Communications.

Tonight's debate will give Handel and Ossoff their first real opportunity to connect with a general audience beyond the 30- or 60-second increments of their radio and television ads.

Information from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was used in this report.