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If two is a party, and three is a crowd, then seven is, well, a lot of candidates.

It's a long ballot in the Legislative District 29 primary for the House, with seven Democrats vying for two spots in the general election.

The crowded field offers voters a little bit of everything, with some established names running against political unknowns.

Perhaps it's fitting to have so many diverse Democratic candidates, as 29 is one of Southern Arizona's most diverse districts. Not only does it include parts of Downtown Tucson, but also the city of South Tucson, neighborhoods around Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the fast-growing Southeast Side.

The two winners of the primary will face Republicans Juan Ciscomani and Pat Kilburn. Meanwhile, state Rep. Linda Lopez is moving on to the Senate.

Eric Carbajal Bustamante

A physical education teacher at Satori Middle School, Carbajal Bustamante, who turns 25 next month, said he would make education his priority. He notes that he is the only candidate who has taken the AIMS test, which he said is flawed.

He would like to see smaller class sizes and more money spent on education.

His plan to get these additional funds: "We need to start taxing these major corporations that are here," he said.

Carbajal Bustamante said he would like to see the "state get behind" putting more police on the street, even though that's a city issue.

He said he supports the TIME initiative, although "I also think it could be a lot better," he said.

Ephraim Cruz

A former U.S. Border Patrol agent, Cruz made headlines last year when he was acquitted of charges that he knowingly took a Mexican woman across the border. Cruz said the charges were in retaliation for concerns he raised about the treatment of illegal entrants.

Cruz, 35, touts his experience as a Border Patrol agent, saying it gives him a unique understanding of border issues.

He would push for the repeal of the state's employer-sanctions law, fight against a state guest-worker program and push to not have local law enforcement enforce immigration laws.

But he wants to improve education and health care, too.

"My focus right now is finding the revenue to increase funding for schools and health care, and the things that affect daily lives of the residents of the district," he said.

Gil Guerra

A custodian with the University of Arizona, Guerra has a solution for the state budget crisis.

"Use what we have," he said. "Don't build more buildings. Build no more stuff."

Guerra, 43, said that while making the rounds on campus, he often is in what he feels are underused buildings.

The anti-abortion Democrat said he would push for a temporary-guest-worker program. On the education front, he would push for more school funding and local control of curriculum and standards.

"I promise you I'll do the best job I can," he said. "I love politics."

Matt Heinz

A doctor at Tucson Medical Center, Heinz, 31, is making his second run for the Legislature.

His platform is largely built around improving health care in Arizona, and he said he will push for incentives such as student-loan repayment to train and keep doctors and nurse practitioners.

"A lot of our medical students fly all over the place," he said. "They come here for medical school, and they go away."

Heinz also envisions Arizona as a mecca for clean, renewable energy, saying developing such an industry is a key to diversifying the economy.

"We need to have an industry that sort of creates those jobs within, and we have a natural way to do it with lots of solar and lots of wind."

Daniel Patterson

An ecologist and Southwest director for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Patterson, 37, said he is most concerned about diversifying the state's economy.

"We have been too dependent on growth and development," he said, adding that he would push for tech and alternative-energy industries here.

With a daughter in the Tucson Unified School District, Patterson said he knows firsthand how the education system needs to be improved, and that an investment in education will create a more diversified work force.

He cited his service as Santa Rita Park Neighborhood Association president and as a member of the city's planning commission as showing he has vested ties to the region.

Tom Prezelski

Prezelski, 38, has been representing the district since 2003, when he was appointed.

A planner with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Prezelski said working in the minority has been challenging, but he has learned how to shape debate and has developed deep connections with city and county officials.

For example, he was vocal about not closing Corbett and Ochoa elementary schools.

"I am a Tucson native, and I have significant roots in the district," he said. "I was very active in working with state and local officials in helping to stop the closure of Ochoa School, which would have been a devastating blow to the community."

He would like to see a diversified economy, and he said the state's tax policy needs to be adjusted to allow for more investment in programs and services.

Patti Puig

After an unsuccessful run for the Legislature two years ago, Patti Puig, 54, is back.

The nursing assistant said she would like to "tackle" health care, education and transportation, but she doesn't want to raise any taxes.

Maybe, she said, taxes could be raised on liquor and cigarettes.

"That would probably be a little bit fairer," she said.

She said she would fight to give teachers pay raises, promote smaller class sizes and develop vocational programs.