The neighborhood association held its Mayoral Forum & Debate on Wednesday night, with an official attendance of 225 people; counting candidates and their support teams, there may have been more than 300. Moderator Kris Cunningham presided over a mostly-polite panel of politicos, and she served up questions collected and chosen by the WGNA Board of Directors.

Over the next few days, WGx will post observations and comments about the debate and the candidates. It’s all part of our 2006 Mayoral Coverage.

The candidates were seated in the order that their names will appear on the ballot, but it was amusing that the three council incumbents (Cortese, Chavez, Reed) sat on one side, while the two “outsiders” (Pandori, Mulcahy) sat on the other. At times, there did seem to be an obvious divide between the camps, but there wasn’t much love being thrown around within them either.

The candidate’s opening statements set the tone for their subsequent comments…

David Cortese kicked things off with a discussion about family values and his long-time commitment to the City of San Jose.

Cindy Chavez discussed her record of achievement within her downtown council district, and focused on neighorhood inclusion.

Chuck Reed stood solidly on his clean government platform, promising to bring respect and integrity to the Mayor’s office.

David Pandori drew from his background in city planning, past experience on the City Council, and his current activities in the county District Attorney’s office.

Michael Mulcahy highlighted his community connections and unique perspective as a former real estate agent, developer, and non-profit executive.

More to come …. Check back soon …