While there have been a few mayoral debates already, yesterday’s forum at the Field School in Ward 3 seemed to officially kick off what has become a three-man race between Mayor Adrian Fenty, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray and former TV reporter Leo Alexander. Held in a large school gym and crowded with local residents, the forum saw the three attempt to refine their campaign pitches while engaging in some spirited back-and-forth. (I live-tweeted the event; check here for the immediate play-by-play action.)

The three faced questions on topics ranging from schools and development to taxes and contracts, and were tightly held to a two-minute time limit. (Those civic activists in Ward 3 certainly run a tight ship, almost obsessively so.) The questions were read by the leaders of three neighborhood organizations — the Palisades, Foxhall and Cleveland Park — and culled from note cards handed out to the audience ahead of and during the forum.

From the get-go, Fenty was out to make one point: his administration has produced results, whether in schools, transit or development. Gray countered that Fenty’s arrogance has left a government that lacked transparency and managed the city’s finances irresponsibly. Alexander argued that only he, the only non-politician of the bunch, could address the problems faced by the District’s growing underclass suffering from “generational poverty.”