WATCH LIVE: Harris and Trump debate -- PBS News simulcast of ABC's 2024 Presidential Debate

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump face off Tuesday night for their first and possibly only debate before Election Day.

The state of the race as they meet in Philadelphia is starkly different than it was just more than two months ago, when Trump debated President Joe Biden in a performance that accelerated calls for Biden to leave the race .

WATCH: What to watch in the ABC Harris-Trump debate

Since then, Biden ended his campaign and endorsed Harris, Trump survived an assassination attempt, and both tickets named running mates and made their cases to voters at their national party conventions.

PBS News’ special coverage will begin with the PBS News Hour at 6 p.m. EDT.

At 8 p.m., our digital special preshow begins, with a look back at major moments from the candidates and where they stand on key issues .

The PBS News simulcast of the ABC Presidential Debate will begin at 9 p.m. EDT. After the debate concludes, PBS News special coverage offers debate analysis from editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report Amy Walter, Republican strategist Kevin Madden, and Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross. Around 11 p.m., coverage continues online, as PBS News’ Deema Zein hosts a post-debate show with correspondents Lisa Desjardins and Laura Barrón-López about the night’s major moments and what’s next for both candidates.

This year’s presidential race is a genuine contest of ideas between Harris and Trump — with clear differences on taxes, abortion, immigration, global alliances, climate change and democracy itself.

Harris has pledged to chart a new way forward even as she’s embraced many of his ideas. She wants middle class tax cuts, tax hikes on the wealthy and corporations, a restoration of abortion rights and a government that aggressively addresses climate change, among other stances.

LIVE FACT CHECK: Trump and Harris meet for presidential debate

Trump wants to accomplish much of what he couldn’t do during a term that was sidetracked by the global pandemic. The Republican wants the extension and expansion of his 2017 tax cuts, a massive increase in tariffs, more support for fossil fuels and a greater concentration of government power in the White House.

The two candidates have spelled out their ideas in speeches, advertisements and other venues. Many of their proposals lack specifics, making it difficult to judge exactly how they would translate their intentions into law or pay for them.