The four major-party candidates vying for two seats on the MSU Board of Trustees will meet in a State News-sponsored debate tonight.

Republicans Connie Binsfeld and Scott Romney and Democrats Dorothy Gonzales and Cal Rapson will square off in the 90-minute forum at 6 p.m. in the Lincoln Room of the Kellogg Center.

A 70th District state House debate scheduled for 8 p.m. tonight, which was to feature Democrat Gretchen Whitmer and Republican Bill Hollister, has been canceled. Whitmer pulled out for personal reasons. No makeup date has been set.

State News staff members will serve as panelists, and the public is invited to attend the first debate that all four Board of Trustee candidates have participated in.

The two candidates who triumph in the Nov. 7 general election will earn an eight-year unpaid tenure on the university’s governing body. The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing MSU’s budget and implementing policy.

Recent polls have showed the four candidates in a statistical dead heat. Each seemingly has strong constituencies.

Binsfeld is a former lieutenant governor, Gonzales is an incumbent and the only major-party contender from East Lansing, Rapson is a Flint-based regional director for the United Auto Workers and incumbent Romney, an attorney, is the son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney.

He was appointed to the board in August by Gov. John Engler to fill an unexpected vacancy. Romney’s appointment - because he replaced Democrat Bob Traxler - split the board 4-4 along party lines.