The race for Dallas County sheriff isn't really about personality, candidate charm or some burning public safety issue.

Those things are being tossed about in other campaigns.

The outcome of the critical contest between incumbent Lupe Valdez and former Irving Police Chief Lowell Cannaday will come down to grunt work.

That involves making telephone calls to prospective voters, knocking on doors, building yard signs, talking to neighbors, registering voters and figuring out how to get them to the polls.

That could be a tough task.

The names Lupe Valdez and Lowell Cannaday don't exactly roll off the tongue of voters.

As for the substance of the campaign, it has basically revolved around the administration of the county jail. The jail has not passed an inspection since Sheriff Valdez has been in office.

While she says she inherited a mess and has made things better, Mr. Cannaday contends he has the skills and experience to bring the jail in compliance and operate the department more efficiently.

Do voters really care about the jail?

Other than paying taxes, most residents have minimal contact with the facility.

Crime is still an important issue in Dallas. But unless inmates are escaping, or those released because of overcrowding are wreaking havoc, you're not going to find many people talking about how horrible it was that the jail failed an inspection.

That's why sheriff debates haven't been the hottest ticket in town.

It's why Mr. Cannaday is still battling against low name recognition and Sheriff Valdez is fighting negative perceptions about her that developed more than two years ago.

The well-informed and politically astute will understand the intricacies of the sheriff's race. But the bulk of Dallas County voters are focused someplace else, most likely on the presidential race.

So Mr. Cannaday and Sheriff Valdez must operate outside the glare of the media spotlight and away from the interests of the average voter.

For Sheriff Valdez, that means taking advantage of the shifting political tide in Dallas County.

She must work toward a huge turnout in the southern sector and hope voters there continue to vote along party lines.

Her trump card is Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, whose coattails are the longest in urban areas like Dallas.

Mr. Cannaday has a harder, but not impossible, task.

His hopes were rejuvenated with the vice presidential nomination of Republican Sarah Palin, now a popular figure with the influential Republican women that help drive local politics.

The GOP must mine voters in northwest Dallas, plus Republican bastions in Irving and the eastern suburbs.

Both candidates have a shot at swing voters.

But the sheriff's election will probably be decided by the candidate that rallies the party base.

Sheriff Valdez and Mr. Cannaday understand that winning is sweet, even when few people are paying attention.

gjeffers@dallasnews.com