A previous version of this story printed earlier.

A Democratic candidate in Arizona is questioning a campaign contribution from the New Mexico Republican Party to her GOP opponent.

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. believes a donation from the New Mexico Republican Party could be part of a "reciprocal arrangement" with the Pima County(Ariz.) Republican Party, her Republican opponent Tim Bee and the New Mexico GOP and 1st Congressional District candidate Darren White. The Pima County Republican Party donated $10,000, the maximum allowable by a political action committee, to White. Six days later, the New Mexico Republican Party donated $10,000 to Bee, Giffords’ challenger in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. The Pima County Republican Party then gave $10,000 to Bee’s campaign.

Giffords’ campaign chairman Michael McNulty believes this may have been a way to get around the $10,000 donation ceiling for PACs in both the Arizona and New Mexico race.

Sara Lister, Darren White’s campaign manager, says most of the money White has raised has come from New Mexico. "Of the contributions he received in the first two quarters of his campaign, 96% have come from New Mexicans," Lister told The Independent in an e-mail.
 

Money from out of state is something to be expected in a high profile race like this.

"This race is considered to be one of the top congressional races of 2008 and is garnering attention and support from around the nation," Lister explained.

Josh Geise, Executive Director of the New Mexico Democratic Party, disagreed with Lister’s assessment of White’s support among New Mexicans.

"Darren White is going to need all the money he can get from John McCain and the Arizona Republican Party because the truth is: John McCain and Darren White will guarantee New Mexicans a third Bush term." It’s no surprise, Geise said, that the White campaign is raising money from out of state. "They’re going to need truck loads of out of state money to try and avoid the reality that all Republicans have given us in the last eight years is an economy in shambles and a war in Iraq with no end in site." In an unusual move, the national Republican party has already stepped in to support Darren White ahead of the Republican primary.

New Mexico Republican Party Executive Director Adam Feldman said giving to competitive races across state lines is not unusual in election years. "The New Mexico Republican Party has often contributed to Republican candidates in tough, targeted races around the country," Feldman said.

Feldman went on to say the New Mexico Republican Party gave to Steve Huffman for Congress in Arizona, Brian Bilbray for Congress in California and Rick Santorum for Senate in Pennsylvania in the 2006 election cycle. Bee’s campaign spokeswoman, Judi White, agreed with Feldman that such giving across state lines is not unusual, especially in tight election races.

"We’re trying to help other candidates, as are other federal accounts across the country," Judi White told the Arizona Daily Star. Judi White is no relation to Darren White.