During the past seven months, close to a half-million dollars has been raised in the Dallas County sheriff's race.
Republican challenger Lowell Cannaday has significantly outraised and outspent Democrat Sheriff Lupe Valdez since the race began early last year. Sheriff Valdez, meanwhile, has received contributions from across the nation, drawing criticism from Republicans who say she's unable to win support locally.
A quarter of the money Sheriff Valdez has received since March has come from outside Texas and includes donations from almost 90 people in 13 states who gave small amounts, mostly $30 to $75.
Most of that came from two recent fundraisers held by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund - the sheriff's top donor - in New York City and Nashville, Tenn.
Jonathan Neerman, chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party, said the sheriff is getting money from liberal interest groups "because of her sexuality and not because of her competence."
"What interest do they have in a local sheriff's race?" he asked.
Sheriff Valdez said she has plenty of local support and that she's meeting her fundraising goals. She said it's typical for the local GOP to keep focusing on her sexual orientation. And she said it's proof of their desperation.
"I think he's [Cannaday] out trying to raise so much money because we're going to have the votes," she said.
More than $1 million has been raised for the two candidates combined. Mr. Cannaday, the former Irving police chief, has raised $632,000, while Sheriff Valdez has received $385,000, according to the campaigns.
From late February to Sept. 25, Sheriff Valdez received $212,775, campaign finance reports show. Mr. Cannaday accumulated $272,354 during the same period, 70 percent of which has come in the past three months.
That's more than twice the amount that was raised during the same period in the 2004 sheriff's race when Sheriff Valdez won in a surprise victory to become the county's first elected female sheriff.
Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at SMU, said the fundraising is above average for a sheriff's race. But it's not surprising, he said, given that the county GOP is laying much of its hopes on the race.
This year's sheriff's contest is the most closely watched local race, and it's also getting national attention.
Sheriff Valdez has some national name recognition because of the historic nature of her election four years ago. She pulled off a stunning victory for an unknown and a department outsider who faced a better-financed Republican who rose through the ranks at the Sheriff's Department.
The Victory Fund, a Washington D.C.-based political action committee that raises money for gay candidates, has given the sheriff $35,200 since late February. Its Web site lists the sheriff's contest as one of several "races to watch" and allows people to give money to Sheriff Valdez's campaign online.
Money has come from cities like Boston, Washington, Denver, Miami, Beverly Hills, Calif., and Honolulu. Some of those contributions are the result of a Victory Fund mailer, said Kirk McPike, the sheriff's campaign manager.
Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Victory Fund, said the recent New York fundraiser for Sheriff Valdez was a "low-dollar fundraiser for young people."
Mr. Dison said his PAC is unlike others because it doesn't ask people to sign on to a particular agenda. The Victory Fund, he said, believes that having more gay people in office changes people's views about gays. If young gay people see that Sheriff Valdez is open about her sexual orientation, they might be so as well, he said.
"That is the power with having those people in office," he said.
Peggy Lundy, Mr. Cannaday's campaign manager, said it's disappointing to see that Sheriff Valdez has "had to get so much support from outside Dallas County." She said it's telling that more local residents are giving to Mr. Cannaday.
Mr. Wilson, the SMU professor, said Sheriff Valdez has become a political symbol.
"She's seen as a symbol of gay and lesbian identity politics," he said.
Sheriff Valdez's second biggest donor since March is Dallas lawyer Fred Baron, who has given her $14,600. Mr. Baron, a regular Democratic fundraiser, received national attention for funding the relocation of the former mistress of one-time presidential hopeful John Edwards.
Mr. Cannaday, considered the underdog in the race, has had to raise and spend more money than the sheriff because he had a primary runoff election, while the Sheriff Valdez won her primary outright.
Many of his donors are not unusual for a Dallas Republican - local oil and gas men, chief executives and real estate investors. His top donor since March is Ralph Ellis, an Irving oil executive, who gave him $40,000.
Other Cannaday contributors include well-known business figures such as Ray Hunt ($1,000), Ebby Halliday ($600), Trammel Crow ($2,000) and Lucy Billingsley ($1,500).
