Gearing up for the next month of campaigning, 18 candidates in the Ann Arbor races for mayor, city council and the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners participated in a forum hosted by the Ann Arbor Democratic Party Saturday morning.

With the Aug. 8 Democratic Primary less than a month away, today is the deadline to register to vote in the primaries.

Because there are no Republican candidates currently running for the city council - which is exclusively composed of Democrats - next month's primary could decide the election.

The candidates shared a common philosophy on abortion, with all 18 saying they are pro-choice. All candidates also strongly oppose the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which if passed in November would ban most affirmative action programs in the state.

Universal healthcare also brought the candidates to a common ground. During a lightning round, nearly every candidate gave universal healthcare coverage top priority for the Democratic Party on either the federal or local level.

The round prompted former United States representative and political science Prof. Lynn Rivers, who moderated the forum, to say, "Who says democrats can't agree?"

Some candidates, such as prospective city council member Sonia Schmerl, said the all-democratic makeup of the council was hurting the city and called for "new blood" and more transparency.

Occasionally, candidates lightened the mood by offering original selling points such as "I don't own a car" or "If it helps, I've never been inside a Wal-Mart" to the audience of about 60 Ann Arbor residents.

Mayor John Hiefjte is running for re-election against City Councilwoman Wendy Woods (D-Ward 5).

Since his election in 2000, Hiefjte's main focuses have included making the city more energy efficient and establishing rail transit through the city. Woods, who is also associate director of the University's Community Scholars program, has been a member of the city council since 2001.

Hiefjte also stressed tight budgeting at the forum. "We have to keep our eye on the financial ball," he said.

As democrats, Hiefjte and Woods agree on many central issues. But, Woods disagreed with Hiefjte over the decision to move 90 of the city's former YMCA residents to an apartment complex in Ypsilanti after the downtown building housing the YMCA was deemed unfit for habitation.

Woods said that if she had been mayor she would have communicated more with the Ypsilanti government so that town did not feel "bullied."

Student support is likely to play the largest role in the tight race for the 53rd district's state representative between Ann Arbor natives Leigh Greden and Rebekah Warren. The 53rd district covers most of Ann Arbor, including central campus and downtown. Current Rep. Chris Kolb (D-Ann Arbor) cannot run due to term restrictions. Both Warren and Greden have tried to build student support bases.

Warren, who is conducting an absentee ballot campaign with a goal of registering 500 students, is best known for her grassroots pro-choice work and has strong support from Ann Arbor's activist community.

Since striking a nerve with students two years ago by supporting an ordinance that would have banned couches on porches, Greden was a main player in the council's newly formed Student Relations Committee. The committee developed a student-friendly lease ordinance preventing new tenants from signing a lease until 90 days of the previous lease have passed.

One council seat from each of the city's five wards is also up for grabs. Panelists represented the city's first, third and fifth ward.

In the first ward, progressive candidate and University psychology Prof. Ron Suarez is challenging incumbent John Roberts. Suarez spoke of his work with labor unions and if elected would be the city's first Latino councilman.

First-time runners Alice Ralph, Jeff Meyers and Stephen Kunselman represented the third ward. An architect by trade, Ralph was heavily involved in the Save Gordon Hall campaign, which worked to purchase the historic Dexter home from the University this spring.

Meyers and Kunselman both drew on their experiences as fathers and advocated for environmental issues including more park and recreation space.

In the fifth ward race, incumbent Chris Easthope is challenged by first-time runners Schmerl and retired resident Richard Ankli.

Four seats on the county's board of commissioners will also be contested between Ann Arbor's two districts.

Incumbents Leah Gunn (D-District 9), Barbara Levin Bergman (D-District 9) and Conan Smith (D-District 10) are joined by Kathy Wilson, Christina Montague and Audrey Jackson in the race.

- Arikia Millikan contributed to this report.