Last night the five mayoral candidates — Adrian Fenty, Marie Johns, Vincent Orange, Linda Cropp, and Michael Brown — squared off in the first debate of the 2005-2006 campaign season. Facing an audience of 700 at the University of the District of Columbia, the candidates debated education, school modernization, economic development, affordable housing, crime, and yes, the stadium. Moderated by the Post’s Colbert King, the candidates gave brief opening questions, faced withering questions from a panel of three journalists — NBC 4’s Tom Sherwood, WTOP’s Mark Plotkin, and The Examiner’s Jonetta Rose Barras — and fielded written inquiries from members of the audience.

DCist was there, and after the jump is our debate recap.

Filed Under: adrian fenty, affordable housing, Colbert, colbert king, colbertking, crime, dcist, district, education, housing, jonetta rose barras, jonettarosebarras, journalists, linda cropp, Marie Johns, mark plotkin, markplotkin, michael brown, michaelbrown, nbc, news, politics, rose, Rose Barras, the examiner, Tom Sherwood, tomsherwood, university, vincent orange,