Santa Fe voters will have a chance to make side-by-side comparisons of City Council candidates during forums scheduled in coming weeks.

Three groups — the Neighborhood Network, the League of Women Voters of Santa Fe County and the Democratic Party of Santa Fe County — have reserved rooms and issued invitations for events to feature those whose names will be on the March 6 ballot, in which four of the eight council seats will be up for grabs.

While the neighborhood advocacy group typically holds well-attended question-and-answer sessions during every city election cycle, and the League of Women Voters also has done so for years, city election forums are a new undertaking for the local Democratic Party.

"I just think it's good for the public to get to ask questions of the candidates," said Richard Ellenberg, party chair.

Even though City Council races are nonpartisan in that party affiliation is not listed on the ballot and there are no party-defined primary elections, most of the elected officials on the board have historically been registered Democrats. This year is no different. All 10 candidates seeking city seats are registered with the party, although some newly so.

For example, District 3 candidate Marie Campos declined to state her party affiliation on voter registration forms until September of last year, the same month that District 1 candidate Houston Johansen changed his affiliation from independent to Democrat. District 2 candidate Bob Sarr was registered as a Republican until 2008.

All forums will feature statements from candidates, questions prepared by a moderator and questions submitted to the moderator from those in attendance.

To email a question to the Democratic Party, write sfdchar@gmail.com. For more information on the League event, also sponsored by the American Association of University Women, write to voterservices@lwvsfc.org. Contact Neighborhood Network vice president Rick Martinez at morgmartinez@yahoo.com.

Early voting begins on Jan. 31, although election day is not until March 6.



FORUMS SET TO BEGIN THIS WEEK

• Candidates for the east-side District 2 (Peter Ives, Elizabeth "Dolly" Lujan and Bob Sarr) are invited to a Democratic Party event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Center for Progress and Justice, 1420 Cerrillos Road.

• Wednesday, Jan. 11 is the Democratic Party forum for District 3, which runs along the western and southern parts of the city. Marie Campos, Gilbert Martinez and Chris Rivera are seeking that seat, vacated by Councilor Miguel Chavez due to redrawing of the district boundaries. The event is planned for 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Progress and Justice, 1420 Cerrillos Road.

• Thursday, Jan. 12 is the District 2 and District 3 event sponsored by the Neighborhood Network from 7 to 9 p.m. in the community room at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, 465 St. Michael's Drive.

• On Jan. 16, organizers with the Democratic Party invited Bill Dimas and Carol Robertson Lopez, candidates for south-side District 4, to an event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Progress and Justice, 1420 Cerrillos Road.

• A Jan. 17 event will feature the candidates from north-side District 1, incumbent Patti Bushee and challenger Houston Johansen, and a pair campaigning in the south-side District 4, former Magistrate Bill Dimas and former councilor Carol Robertson-Lopez at a Neighborhood Network forum in the community room at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, 465 St. Michael's Drive.

• Jan. 18 is the Democratic Party event for District 1 incumbent Councilor Patti Bushee and challenger Houston Johansen, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Progress and Justice, 1420 Cerrillos Road.

• District 1 and 2 candidates are invited to a League of Women Voters and American Association of University Women forum from 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 107 W. Barcelona Road.

• Districts 3 and 4 candidates will appear at a League of Women Voters and American Association of University Women forum from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center on Rodeo Road.