ALBUQUERQUE — In case there was any doubt, the gubernatorial race is on. And based on the answers at an debate on education Thursday night, it's combative.

With nearly every response that Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and Doña Ana District Attorney Susana Martinez gave, they took swipes at each other, many of them off topic.

Question about No Child Left Behind?

Martinez, the Republican, gave an answer that included a jab about the growth in government under the Richardson Administration.

Question about school budgets?

Denish, the Democrat, gave an answer that in part dealt with what she said is Martinez's support of public-school money for private institutions.

Question about how the candidates would deal with the diverse school districts across the state?

Martinez gave an answer that in part dinged Denish for her use of the state jet.

And so it went.

That's life just more than two months from the Nov. 2 election, which initial polls are saying is very tight.

The Albuquerque Public Schools-sponsored event also was a glimpse into how central education — on which the state spends about half of its more than $5 billion-a-year budget — might be to this campaign.

During an hour of questions at Eldorado High School in the Northeast Heights, Denish blasted Martinez for her lack of experience on education and questioned the spending of her Southern New Mexico District Attorney's Office while Martinez knocked Denish for current student performance results and for the growth of government under the Richardson administration.

Denish repeatedly worked to paint Martinez as a flip-flopper on vouchers, pointing to past statements that she said indicate Martinez's support for vouchers. Martinez repeatedly said she doesn't support public money for private schools, but instead is for scholarships and tax credits for children to attend private schools if their parents choose.

"You can say it over and over again, it's not going to make it true," Martinez told Denish. "You can deny the failures of your administration, that's not going to make it true either."

Denish said Martinez should be straight with the public, accusing her of advocating for a voucher program "for months."

"Tax credits, that's just another name with a middle man in the middle," Denish said.

The vouchers theme was a keystone of Denish's debate answers, and have been central to her campaign for several weeks. Staffers handed out statements to the media during the debate with quotes from Martinez they said prove her support for taking public money out of public schools, as they have in several news releases recently.

Martinez during the debate focused her criticism on what she said Denish hasn't done during her term in office.

"Diane, you took office in 2003 and you said 'Hold me accountable for our graduation rates, hold me accountable because we expect our children to read by the time they are in the third grade.' I'm holding you accountable. Our children aren't graduating at the rate they should be."

Martinez also worked to present herself as the candidate who would shake things up in the school district.

"Diane, 80 percent of our kids right now don't read proficiently in the fourth grade," she said. "You have failed our kids and you have been at the front of the table, chairing the (Gov. Bill) Richardson-Denish education reform."

Both Richardson and Denish have focused on education since taking office in 2003. Since then, teacher pay has increased, as has the prevalence of charter schools.

Denish worked to paint Martinez as fiscally irresponsible, saying the budget in the District Attorney's Office grew by 70 percent under her watch.

Denish also worked to tout her work on education during her term in office, including as a proponent of pre-kindergarten programs.

"Once again, let me say when you have no experience in fighting for public education, it's easy to say 'I have a magic wand,' but I have a record of fighting for public education," she said.

The two generally agreed that charter schools have an important place in the state, and that schools ought to be audited each year. Both pledged not to cut school funding and to look for savings elsewhere in state government — something Richardson tried to do in this year's budget crunch. Schools slated to be cut by 3 percent were only spared the cuts by a last-minute reprieve of federal funds last week.

They disagreed on how frequently to test students, with Martinez proposing tests more often to better measure student performance, and Denish resisting that idea.

Both candidates survived the debate without any major gaffes, as the pressure mounts because of the closeness of the race.

One of the most recent polls, done in June by Rasmussen, showed the race to be a statistical tie with Martinez leading by 2 percentage points.

Fundraising, however, has not been so close. As of late June, Denish had a $7-to-$1 cash advantage, with a balance of almost $2.2 million, compared to Martinez's $300,020.

The next confirmed debate is expected to take place Sept. 26 at Congregation Albert in Albuquerque.

The Democrats also are proposing two debates between the lieutenant governor candidates, Republican John Sanchez and Democrat Brian Colón.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog at www.greenchilechatter.com.

More on the debate

Missed the debate? Want to hear more?

Catch analysis of the gubernatorial debate on KNME TV, Channel 5, 7 p.m., Friday night.

The show's panelists include Lonna Atkeson, a political-science professor at The University of New Mexico; journalist David Alire Garcia; Stephen Spitz, public affairs producer for KUNM radio, 89.9 FM; and Jim Scarantino, editor of New Mexico Watchdog.

The show also will feature interviews with U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján and Republican challenger Tom Mullins, both running for the state's 3rd Congressional District this fall.