Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna and former Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee will square off Tuesday in their first debate of the 2012 governor's race.

The one-hour debate is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the Bing Crosby Theater in downtown Spokane, as part of the Association of Washington Business' spring meeting.

This should be friendly territory for McKenna, as the Republican-tilting AWB is expected to endorse him on Wednesday.

Inslee initially tried to duck out of the matchup, but quickly changed his mind. His campaign took another warning shot (albeit misfired) at AWB earlier this week.

The AWB debate has become a traditional stop for the major gubernatorial candidates since it was first held in 1992. The debate will be moderated this year by public radio correspondent Austin Jenkins.

Before the gubernatorial matchup, the AWB also will host a 2 p.m. debate between the major Attorney General candidates, Democrat Bob Ferguson and Republican Reagan Dunn.

The debates will be carried live on TVW and webcast at tvw.org.

They'll also be aired live on the radio by KUOW (94.9 FM).