After months of sniping and increasingly negative advertising, Gov. Chris Gregoire and Republican challenger Dino Rossi are scheduled to face off Saturday night in the first debate of the campaign.

The debate will be carried live online at KATU.com at 9 p.m. A box will appear on the top of the Web site at 8:30 p.m. that will provide a link to watch the debate. It will also be broadcast on KATU-TV.

Questions will be posed by KOMO-TV news anchor Dan Lewis, P-I Assistant Managing Editor Rita Hibbard and citizens around the state. The debate is designed to contrast the candidates' positions on issues including the economy, transportation, the environment and health care.