Candidates for the state Assembly's 8th District seat gathered at a campus forum last week to offer a clear message to UC Davis voters: education will be a top priority for them in the Legislature.

The four candidates - Democrats Christopher Cabaldon, Steve Hardy and Lois Wolk and Republican John Munn - vying to succeed Helen Thomson in the Yolo and Solano counties seat also offered views on Davis growth, housing issues and state spending.

But educational issues, particularly those involving university funding, dominated candidates' remarks during questioning at the noontime forum hosted by the UC Davis Staff Assembly, the Institute for Governmental Affairs and the Office of Government and Community Relations.

Despite the state's $14 billion budget shortfall, each of the candidates said they would generally not support raising UC student fees.

Wolk, a Yolo County Supervisor, recalled when the university raised fees several years ago: "Students had to take jobs," Wolk said. "It took away from their studies and their community involvement."

Munn, a soils scientist and former member of the Davis school board, said he would only support fee increases as a last resort. He questioned, however, why the cost of higher education in California has risen over the years.

Before approving additional funds for UC, "I would want to know what changed between when I attended the university and now," said Munn, who received degrees from UC Davis in the early 1970s.

Cabaldon, a vice chancellor for the state's community colleges and West Sacramento city councilman, said he would fight for the state to restore its annual contribution to UC. That support was slashed by $90 million for the 2001-2002 year because of a state revenue drop.

"At this time you focus on the things that help you rebound from a recession," he said. "The University of California is central to that strategy."

But Wolk noted that the university would be up against other worthy programs, like those for seniors and the disabled, in the budget battle.

"You try to protect what you have, that's what you do," she said.

Hardy, director of a state Legislature committee and former Vacaville school board member, vowed to take legislative leaders with him to lobby Gov. Davis to restore UC funding.

Along with pushing for education funding in the Legislature, Hardy said he would fight for highway improvements to reduce gridlock on I-80 in the district and support the development of affordable housing in the area. "We need affordable housing and jobs," he said. "We need to convince people that they can live here and not have to go on the freeway to go to work."

Cabaldon noted that many UC Davis employees and students lived in West Sacramento. "They ought to be living there because they choose to, not because there is no affordable housing in their community," he said.

Munn said he supported state infrastructure improvements, but he also pledged to "hold the line against tax increases."

Wolk said her non-education priorities included preservation of open space and agricultural land in the area. She supports reducing the threshold for local bonds to 55 percent.

Employees said the forum was educational. Social sciences dean Steven Sheffrin appreciated the candidates' focus on university issues, though he is not sure how much influence Assembly members will have over policy.

"It's important that they are willing to develop a relationship with us. The issues change over time," Sheffrin said. "It's always good to have a campus ally."

Carol Miller, an analyst in the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel, said she walked away from the forum leaning toward voting for one candidate, though she didn't want to reveal whom. "You get a different feel from the candidates in person than you do from the campaign literature," Miller said.

The event was the first of its kind for UC Davis employees, said Matthew Hargrove, advocacy director for the government and community relations office. "Hopefully the candidates walked away knowing a little more about UC Davis and the issues affecting our staff, faculty and students," he said.

About 8,000 campus employees live in the 8th Assembly District, which encompasses Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, Dixon, Winters, Vacaville, Fairfield and Rio Vista. Hargrove said that a tape of the forum has been distributed to area local-access cable channels.