KALAMAZOO, MI -- With 29 days before the Nov. 6 election, Fred Upton and Mike O'Brien will have their first debate tonight for their bids for Michigan's 6th Congressional District.

The debate begins at 7 p.m. at Western Michigan University’s Knauss Hall. Hosted by MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette and WMUK 102.1 FM, the hour-long debate will cover economy, energy and health care, among other topics. WMUK’s Gordon Evans and the Gazette’s Linda Mah will moderate.

There will be no opening statements, but the candidates will have two-minute closing statements. Candidates will have two minutes to respond to each question and then a one-minute rebuttal.

If you can't make it, check out MLive.com/Kalamazoo tonight for live coverage and a video stream.

While Upton and Jack Hoogendyk agreed on many things during their June debate for the August Republican primary, O'Brien is a Democrat and stands apart on many issues. This also will be an important night in the campaign because it will be the first time many voters will hear from O'Brien, who is a political newcomer.

Here’s 5 things to watch during tonight’s debate:

1. Can O'Brien do it? This is the first political campaign for O'Brien, and he's running for a high office: U.S. Congress. It will be interesting to see what kind of debater O'Brien is and how effective the style he chooses. Will he be on the attack? Upton, who has been in congress for 25 years, has a lot of experience debating and is comfortable talking to large audiences, whether on the House floor or at events in the district.

2. Will Upton attack? In past general elections, Upton has stayed off the offensive. In 2008 and 2010, Upton and Democrat Don Cooney agreed to run positive campaigns. As far as I know, there have been no attacks against O'Brien from the Upton campaign.

But that doesn’t mean Upton doesn’t know how to go after challengers. In the Republican primary, Upton’s campaign showed it can go on the attack and do it effectively. Upton sent out numerous mailers attacking Hoogendyk and his record in the state house, claiming the former State Representative, named one of the most conservative in Lansing, voted for “The Granholm Stimulus.” Upton attacked Hoogendyk for other votes during their first debate.

O’Brien, on the other hand, began attacking Upton from the beginning of his campaign and will most certainly criticize the congressman tonight. How will Upton respond? Will he rebuke O’Brien or ignore the criticisms? If Upton does attack O’Brien, it will most likely be related to where Democrats stand on issues rather than his record. O’Brien has a biography that's hard to critique: He’s never held elected office but has served in the Marines and started his own farm.

3. Energy and the environment: In the past two years, Upton has been one of the Republican Party's leading voices on issues related to energy, which also made him one of the environmental lobby's greatest antagonists. After being named chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee after the 2010 mid-term elections, Upton introduced legislation to curb the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, which he says is overly burdensome and costly to businesses. The American Lung Association responded to the legislation with billboards in Southwest Michigan, which was unheard of in the district.

When it comes to policy, both candidates have talked about an “all of the above” energy policy, but differ in what they have emphasized: Upton leans more on oil and natural gas and investing in projects like the Keystone XL pipeline, while O’Brien puts renewables at the top of his list. And O’Brien has knowledge related to renewable energy: He worked for an offshore wind turbine company. He has said thousands of jobs can be created if the district embraces the technology.

It will also be important to note what the candidates say on the role the government should play in subsidizing energy companies to help see their policies realized.

4. "Ds" and "Rs": In the first debate with Hoogendyk, Upton mentioned multiple times his bipartisan work. "We have a diverse district," Upton said. "It went for Obama and President Clinton twice, particularly with Kalamazoo. It is diverse; that gives us strength, but it is one district where people don't care if you have an 'R' or 'D' next to your name." With comments like this, Upton was able to distance himself from Hoogendyk. O'Brien, too, has made similar statements about the different parties: "It's not about D's and R's."

But many on the left, including O’Brien and late Congressman Howard Wolpe, have said Upton has become more conservative since being named chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, a claim the congressman has negated. O'Brien will have to make this case during the debate. Its importance will be up to the audience and voters.

5. The impact: Ultimately, it will be interesting what role the debate plays in the election. For O'Brien, this will likely be one of the largest audiences with which he has shared his vision in the Sixth District. Since there are not many public polls conducted, it will be difficult to judge if there's any kind of "bump" for either candidate after the debate. But the questions remain: Will O'Brien capture new voters? Will Upton be able to maintain his base? Will enough people watch the debate to matter one way or another?

What are you looking for during tonight’s debate? What will each of the candidates have to do to win it?

Fritz Klug is a politics and energy reporter for MLive and the Kalamazoo Gazette. Contact him at fklug@mlive.com or 269-370-0584. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+