Gerald Richard and Tim Nelson, the Democrats vying for their party's nomination in the Maricopa County attorney race, faced each other at Central High School Tuesday night at a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

It was again apparent that both Nelson and Richard are close on a number of issues. On topics ranging from warrant enforcement to juvenille justice, human smuggling and the decriminalization of marijuana (both said they're vehemently opposed), the differences in their views most frequently came down to nuance rather than substance. 

Dan Saban, the Mesa Police Department veteran and former chief of police in Buckeye, left halfway through, proclaiming his ambivalence.

"It's a tough choice," he said, praising both as qualified and stating his confidence that the eventual primary winner will beat incumbent Andrew Thomas.

Throughout the debate, both emphasized the strengths of their resumes, and more sharply defined themselves as candidates.

Richard, who frequently uses personal anecdotes to make a point or illustrate his relevant experience, drew upon a wealth of such recollections to show himself tough on crime.

He said he had prosecuted criminals to the fullest extent of the law for violent crime, or even the suggestion of violence. One person, said Richard, was sentenced to over 10 years for stealing a bicycle at knife-point.

"I don't see it as any different from a carjacking," he said. Richard also recalled prosecuting one man for threatening his wife with an iron. "'But I didn't use it,'" he remembered the man saying. That didn't matter - Richard said even the threat was enough to qualify as domestic violence, for which he says he has a "zero tolerance" policy.

He also played up his leadership credentials, pointing out that the the administrative support division of the Phoenix Police Department, for which Richard served as director, has a budget of $67 million, which is only about $10 million less than the operating budget for the county attorney's office.

Tim Nelson again portrayed himself as having "the most courtroom experience" of either Richard or Andrew Thomas, and said his time in private practice and as general counsel to Gov. Janet Napolitano made him the more qualified of the two Democratic candidates.  

He pointed to his long list of endorsements - especially those from law enforcement - as a sign that he had the confidence of the state's Democratic Party establishment. To underscore the point, the Nelson table outside the debate was stacked with the campaign's first direct mail piece, which features the words "An important message from Governor Janet Napolitano" on its front side with a large picture of the popular governor.

During his closing remarks, Nelson was blunt about one of his biggest advantages: fundraising. He said that he has a robust "war chest" - at latest count, nearly $180,000 - and that money will be needed to combat Thomas, who brought in $200,000 from his last run.

Nelson identified himself as the candidate with the better resources to compete with Thomas, warning that Richard doesn't have the ability to match him financially. Indicating Richard, Nelson said his rival will have "almost nothing in reserve" for the general election matchup. Gerald Richard had $40,000 cash on hand at the beginning of June.