Three candidates vying for a Queens State Senate seat will square off in a debate on NY1 tonight ahead of Tuesday's special election.

Hiram Monserrate is now putting his political future in the hands of voters in his Queens district, which includes Jackson Heights, Corona, and East Elmhurst. His colleagues expelled him last month following his conviction on misdemeanor assault of his girlfriend.

Monserrate is facing Assemblyman Jose Peralta, who has the support of the Queens Democratic Party, and Republican Robert Beltrani, an administrative law judge at the Department of Parole.

"My leadership is about being independent, not having strings on my back, and defending the communities as I see fit," said the former state senator.

One of the heated topics in the televised debate was a piece of campaign literature sent to voters in the district that shows Monserrate's girlfriend as she was being dragged by Monserrate through his apartment building. The image was captured by a surveillance camera on the night he cut her face with a broken glass, an injury that Monserrate has said was an accident.

Monserrate called the flier a low political blow.

"What you are doing is a cheap political stunt, is using her picture to score cheap points. That is outrageous," said Monserrate. "You paid for it, your campaign designed it."

During the debate, Peralta denied that he had paid for the flier, but afterwards a campaign aide to Peralta told NY1 that the mailer was indeed from the Peralta campaign.

Peralta raised questions about Monserrate's ability to be effective in Albany, given his ouster. Monserrate has fought that in court and his latest appeal of the State Senate’s decision was denied Friday.

Beltrani, seen left, questioned Peralta's ability to be independent of the so-called special interests that are backing his campaign. The Democratic candidate has won support from several labor unions and gay rights advocates.

"That's the problem. He owes his political clout to these people," said Beltrani. "It's that very reason why nothing can be done on behalf of the taxpayers of the State of New York."

For his part, Peralta is trying to make this race all about character.

"At the end of the day it's about cleaning the dysfunction that's been created over the last year and cleaning the violence that has been created in our communities," said the assemblyman.

Turnout is expected to be low on Tuesday, and all the candidates are working hard to get their supporters to the polls.