With less than two weeks before the Dallas County runoff elections, the two Republican candidates for sheriff are quietly making the rounds at local Republican club meetings, trying to persuade supporters to vote for them once again.

Former Irving Police Chief Lowell Cannaday, 70, faces former Sheriff Jim Bowles, 79, in the April 8 runoff. Early voting begins Monday. Mr. Cannaday won the most votes in the March primary. Mr. Bowles served five terms as sheriff before losing in the 2004 Republican primary.

Mr. Cannaday received a boost Thursday with an endorsement from the Dallas County Sheriff's Association. With more than 600 members, the association is the agency's largest employee-advocacy group. Mr. Cannaday has also received the endorsement of the Dallas Police Association.

"The decision to step forward was made with concern about the future," said association president Scott Evans.

Deputy Evans said Mr. Cannaday's experience, integrity and management skills make him the Republicans' best choice and give them the best chance to beat Sheriff Lupe Valdez in November.

He said Mr. Bowles did some good things for the agency, but that many employees can't forget the "dark cloud" and internal strife he left behind. "We don't want Jim Bowles back," he said.

Mr. Bowles has received support from the other two Republican sheriff's candidates, and he drew the No. 1 position on the ballot again. He said he has not sought endorsements and doesn't want to feel as if he owes any favors if he wins.

He said he hasn't asked for campaign contributions but has spent about $2,000 on yard signs.

"If I have to buy this office, I don't want it," he said.

That strategy of relying on name recognition won him 35 percent of the vote in the primary – only 4,000 votes behind Mr. Cannaday.

Mr. Cannaday, a former Irving City Council member, has been campaigning for about a year, received numerous endorsements and raised more than $180,000. Among those endorsements is the support of the three Republican county commissioners.

In contrast to the primary race, the runoff has been a low-key affair. There are no more political forums to attend. The buzz and excitement leading up to the Texas primary has long since faded.

Mr. Cannaday said he has since shown up at almost every Republican club event. Mr. Bowles has attended a few as well.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Bowles got into a confrontation with Dallas County Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, a Cannaday supporter, at a Park Cities Republican Women's meeting on the Southern Methodist University campus.

Addressing the audience, Mr. Bowles began blaming county commissioners for his troubles and the jail problems during his final term in office.

Mr. Mayfield said he got up to respond, saying Mr. Bowles chose to "favor a vendor over the taxpayers of Dallas County," among other things. Mr. Bowles didn't like that, he said, and got in his face and grabbed him.

"I told him to get his hands off of me," Mr. Mayfield said.

Mr. Bowles said he put his left hand in front of him to keep his distance from Mr. Mayfield and that it pressed into the commissioner's arm. He said Mr. Mayfield walked into him.

Club president Debbie Georgatos, who witnessed the altercation, declined to comment, saying she wanted to avoid the perception that she favors one candidate over the other.

Mr. Bowles' tenure as sheriff has featured prominently in the race. Many blame him for the jail problems. Ethics also became an issue – a reference to Mr. Bowles' felony indictment during his last year in office as well as his friendship with a jail vendor.

Mr. Bowles points out that the charge was thrown out and blames his troubles on county commissioners, who he said ignored his pleas for more money, resulting in the current federal jail oversight.