Watch Live Stream: South Dakota Governor Debate

SIOUX FALLS, SD — Republican voters in South Dakota will get one last look at their candidates as U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem squares off in a debate against state Attorney General Marty Jackley. Ahead of Tuesday's much-anticipated primary election, Noem and Jackley will go toe-to-toe Thursday night at the Orpheum Theater in Sioux Falls.

The event, scheduled to start at 7 p.m., is sponsored by the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, The Argus Leader, and KSFY News.

You can watch the special debate live here. The debate is also open to the public if you'd rather catch the action up close and personal.

By all accounts, the GOP primary appears to be neck-and-neck. In a poll of more than 600 Republicans likely to vote in the primary, 45 percent said they would've voted for Noem if the election was that day. Meanwhile, 44 percent said they'd vote Jackley and 11 percent indicated they hadn't come to a decision yet.

The telephone survey, commissioned by the Argus Leader and KELO TV, was given between May 21 and May 23.

The winner will go on to face Democrat Billie Sutton in the November general election.

Noem

If elected in November, Noem would become the first woman to occupy South Dakota's governor's mansion. She grew up on a family farm in Hamlin County, CNN reported, and was elected eight years ago as the state's only member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She serves on the Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax and economic policies.

Noem told CNN she's proud of the GOP tax cuts, which were passed in late 2017.

Jackley

Jackley is a lifetime resident of South Dakota who earned both an engineering degree and law degree in the state, he told KSFY. He attended high school in Sturgis and got his undergraduate degree in Rapid City. He went to law school in Vermillion, worked as a lawyer in Rapid City and became a federal attorney in Sioux Falls.

Jackley told the station that as governor he wants to create several community-based task forces to tackle key issues and would stress public safety — particularly the "meth and opioid epidemic." He also wants to invest in infrastructure, workforce development and education.

Photos credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images