AUGUSTA -- All eight candidates running for the 1st Congressional District seat sought to distinguish themselves from the pack Tuesday at a forum in Augusta.

With just five weeks to go before the June 10 primary, six Democrats and two Republicans told about 30 people gathered at a Maine Council of Senior Citizens/Alliance for Retired Americans forum about their plans to improve the state and country.

They talked about a range of issues, including health care, the economy, the war and immigration.

While there we no major fireworks or gaffes, the candidates did try to hammer home favorite issues from their campaigns.

Michael Brennan, a Portland Democrat, criticized both Republicans in the race -- one for his stand on immigration, and another for his vote in the Legislature that shut down state government in early 1990s.

Brennan said Republican Dean Scontras of Eliot was "dead wrong" to say he supports building a border fence to keep illegal immigrants out of the United States.

"We shouldn't be keeping people in and we shouldn't be keeping people out," Brennan said.

He also said Republican Charlie Summers, of Scarborough, shouldn't have voted in the early 1990s to shut down state government, a move Summers' wife, Ruth, described as part of his efforts to reform workers compensation.

Ruth Summers, who continues to campaign on her husband's behalf because he got called away to duty in Iraq, said he will be back later this month to hit the campaign trail.

"I'm doing this for Charlie because Charlie believes in Maine," she said.

Several times during the debate, Scontras repeated his belief that the federal deficit and spending on social programs have driven the country into a financial crisis.

"We are $34 trillion dollars in the hole as a country, because of the egregious spending coming out of Washington D.C.," he said.

On the other end of the political spectrum, state Sen. Ethan Strimling, D-Portland, said the economy is his driving issue, as well.

He's running for Congress "because Maine families are struggling to make ends meet," he said. "I am frustrated and angry that Washington doesn't seem to get it."

All the candidates are running to fill the seat left open by U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat who is challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins for her seat.

After the June primary, each party will have one candidate left standing to fight it out in November.

Chellie Pingree, a North Haven Democrat, talked about her efforts as a state senator to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Maine. She said she wants to carry that work forward to the national level.

"When it comes to medicine, we pay the highest prices in the world," she said.

Dr. Steve Meister, a Democrat and physician who lives in Winthrop, said his experience as a veteran and as a doctor give him a solid background to serve in Congress.

"The issues for me are health care and the military," he said. "I have experience and knowledge in these areas."

York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence of South Berwick, a Democrat, said the "nickel-and-diming of the middle class" have prompted him to run.

"I think we need tough people down in Washington to hold the oil companies accountable who are ripping us off for billions of dollars," he said.

And Sanford native Adam Cote, also a Democrat, said his experience with the energy industry and his military service make him a good choice.

"Very few people running for Congress come from blue-collar families," he said.

Of two congressional districts in Maine, the 1st District covers southern and coastal communities, stretching north to include Belgrade, Sidney, Vassalboro, Albion, Rome and Vienna.

Susan Cover -- 623-1056

scover@centralmaine.com