What if they gave a forum and only half the candidates came?

It happened Thursday, when the three Lawrence City Commission candidates backed by the Progressive Lawrence Campaign skipped a forum sponsored by the new Manufacturers, Technology and Agribusiness Coalition.

Candidate David Schauner said he had a prior commitment. But candidates Dennis “Boog” Highberger and Mike Rundle were suspicious of the group; they were originally invited by former Mayor Erv Hodges, who also chairs the Truth for a Better Lawrence political action committee opposing their candidacies.

“We feel like it is a setup,” said Jason Fizell, Highberger’s spokesman. “We couldn’t count on a fairly moderated forum.”

But coalition officials said Hodges made the invitation before he joined the Truth PAC, and that Hodges disassociated himself from the coalition once he did so.

“We’re disappointed,” said Dwayne Fiihr, a team leader at Sauer-Danfoss and a member of the coalition’s board. “It was not our intent to attack those candidates.”

Rundle did send a representative, John Naughton, to assure the three dozen people in attendance of his commitment to economic development. But they pressed Naughton on the Progressive candidates’ absence.

“They just didn’t feel like it would be worth their time tonight,” Naughton said, to catcalls from the audience.

The remaining candidates — Greg DiVilbiss, Lee Gerhard and Lynn Goodell — were critical, saying they had ventured into hostile territory during the campaign.

“I went to every enclave there was, including the Living Wage Alliance,” said Gerhard, a living wage ordinance opponent.

Highberger noted that members of the coalition were also in the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce — and that the chamber has its own forum Saturday morning.

Without the Progressive trio, the remaining candidates found much to agree on: no to living wage and beefed-up floodplain regulations, yes to the current tax abatement policy and a 32nd Street alignment for the South Lawrence Trafficway.

“I’m ready for the state to fund it,” DiVilbiss said, “and for bulldozers to start plowing through the area.”

The election is Tuesday. The top three candidates will take seats on the commission.