Some say the first forum in a political race is the time when candidates sound most like themselves, before they start sounding too much like each other.

During the first forum in the Santa Fe County Commission races — co-hosted by the Sierra Club and the Santa Fe Basin Water Association on Thursday night — the candidates answered questions about growth, water, and oil and gas development.

Most tried to appear cautious about growth. Most said every source of water needs to be explored carefully. And most expressed varying degrees of opposition to oil and gas development, from Stephen Wust's call for stronger regulations and financial assurances to Ralph Jaramillo's outright battle cry of "We'll go down fighting."

But in their opening remarks, each revealed something about their own priorities.

In District 4:

Kathy Holian stressed the importance of community input in government decision-making. "We are facing serious local challenges," Holian said, naming oil and gas drilling, development and water scarcity as major issues. "We need to unite our county ... and draw on the expertise we have as a community."

Mark Marquez emphasized his strong local connections, the fact that he was born and raised in Santa Fe and his history of public service. He served in the U.S. Army in Desert Storm, has been a volunteer firefighter and president of the firefighters' union. Marquez, 39, said he's running for commissioner because "it's the right thing to do. I have a passion for Santa Fe. I'm clawing my way to try to live here. It's a tough city to make it in, and a lot of people my age have had to move away."

Elizabeth "Dolly" Lujan was not at the forum. Reached at home Thursday night, Lujan said prior commitments related to her work as a union official for kept her from attending.

In District 5:

Ralph Jaramillo made a point to distance himself from unchecked growth. "For the record, I just want to say, I am not a developer. I am a licensed Realtor," Jaramillo said. He also reminded the 100 or so attendees of his seven years working in the County Assessor's Office. His greatest strength, Jaramillo said, is his relationships with county employees and local and state politicians. "I hit the ground running," he said.

Stephen Wust, the county's director of natural resources, stressed his knowledge of the inner workings of the county. "I understand how the county government works, or doesn't work, as the case may be," he said.

Wust declared himself a proud liberal Democrat. He voiced a commitment to keeping government open and transparent and stated that he had "no conflicts of interest that will get in the way of my making good decisions."

Elizabeth "Liz" Stefanics highlighted her vast administrative experience, including her work as director of the New Mexico Health Policy Commission, in the state Senate and with the nonprofit group Open Hands. Stefanics said she lives in the Galisteo Basin area and listed oil and gas development and the proposed merger between St. Vincent Regional Medial Center and the Catholic Christus Health as concerns. "I'm running because we all need to work together for the future of Santa Fe," she said.

Joe Augburg concentrated on his extensive experience with water planning. "I've done about a hundred water projects in my life," he said before holding up the environmental impact statement from the Buckman Direct Diversion project and lambasting it. "This document is not completed and ... it won't be defended in court," he said. "I can fix that problem if I become your county commissioner."

Mark Martinez, the last to speak, pointed out that, at 34, he is the youngest candidate in the race. The Santa Fe native had extensive family in attendance and highlighted his experience as a volunteer firefighter. Martinez said he was running as "a concerned neighbor." He said issues involving roads first sparked his interest in local government, "and oil and gas spurred it along."

One of his main goals, Martinez said, is to ensure that Santa Fe remains a safe, nice place for his children to inherit.

Contact Phaedra Haywood at 986-3068 or phaywood@sfnewmexican.com.