Susan Bitter Smith, one of the Republican primary candidates in the 5th Congressional District jockeying for the chance to take on U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Tempe) in the general election, held a "virtual" fundraiser Wednesday for donors in Washington, D.C. and across the country.

The event may have been virtual, but the money is real. Bitter Smith told PolitickerAZ.com that the conference call brought her campaign $10,000.

"It ended up being actually quite an interesting event," said Bitter Smith. "The only thing they didn't get was obviously the soda and cheese and crackers."

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, perhaps Bitter Smith's biggest booster, was also on the call. The candidate said Arpaio made a pitch on her behalf, then updated supporters on his anti-illegal immigration operations.

Bitter Smith said she spoke with U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the deputy minority whip in the House and chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, after the call concluded. He called it a "very interesting idea."

UPDATED: However, Democrats have said the event was more evidence of Bitter Smith's proximity to "Washington lobbyist and special interest supporters." Bitter Smith is Executive Director of the Arizona New Mexico Cable Communications Association.

The impetus behind the call was to save money on gas while bringing attention to the nation's energy struggles, according to Bitter Smith. She, like other Republicans in the race, believes Harry Mitchell has "refused to take action" to lower gas prices, which has compelled these sorts of energy-saving innovations.

"Certainly we're going to look at doing it again," Bitter Smith asserted. "If prices don't get lower, it might be a necessity."