You may not have heard of Frank Garrett or Douglas Walker before this summer, but if you've spent time in Roanoke recently, you've probably seen their yard signs.

The two men, both major-party -- but fairly unknown -- challengers in contested Roanoke city races, used loans this summer to kick-start their campaigns and start building name recognition before the final race to Election Day.

Democrat Garrett and independent Brian Keenum are challenging one-term Republican incumbent Octavia Johnson in a race for sheriff, while Republican Walker is running against three-term Democratic incumbent Sherman Holland for commissioner of revenue.

Garrett and Walker both took out thousands of dollars in loans to launch their campaigns in a year in which a bad economy and large number of state races have made fundraising more difficult. They've used the money largely for yard signs and billboards.

The tactic is not an unusual one. Loans must eventually be repaid, but in the short run they can help develop name recognition for a challenger who does not have the fundraising network of an established incumbent.

"It's hard to just show up without political history and raise a bunch of money," Walker said. "The other side of that was I found it more appropriate to finance the campaign on my own as opposed to asking people for money, especially during these times."

Roanoke Mayor David Bowers successfully used the same technique last year when beginning his campaign. So did state house candidate Bill Cleaveland in a five-way Republican primary earlier this year.

Through Aug. 31, Garrett has raised nearly $17,000, but more than $14,500 of that came from loans he made to his campaign, according to campaign finance reports. Most of that money was spent during his primary against Joe Bush, and he ended August with only $235 in cash on hand.

Garrett said the loan gave him an early start that helped him gain momentum, which has carried over into the general election.

"I got 65 percent of the vote [in the primaries], and I think a lot of that has to do with the money I spent on commercials and yard signs," Garrett said. "If I had to do it all over again, I would do it the same."

Johnson has raised nearly $11,000 this year, including about $2,800 from the Roanoke City Republican Committee. She's spent about $3,000 on signs, lapel stickers, door hangers and the maintenance of her Web site.

Johnson said the Republican party has always been very supportive.

"My campaign is going great," she said. "I have overwhelming support."

Keenum, who is running as an independent, has raised nearly $2,000. He's spent $148 on signs and advertising, and still has about $1,800 on hand.

Keenum said most of his funds have come from family members and friends because he hasn't asked for much support from the public.

"I've really tried to focus more on getting the message out instead of changing the focus of the conversation with a fundraising message," he said.

Democrats are pushing hard to oust Johnson, who in 2005 pulled off a surprise win over her former boss, George McMillan, who at the time was accused by a former employee of sexual harassment. She was the first Republican to win a city constitutional office in 16 years, and the first woman and minority elected sheriff in the Roanoke Valley.

She's received praise for new policies and her work improving the city jail, but she's also come under fire for two incidents that drew media attention. The first came in 2007 when an inmate was mistakenly released from the city jail. He was later killed by police as he threatened his girlfriend with a knife.

Earlier this year the sheriff received some blame for sanctioning controversial sniper training that led to the sheriff's office and city police department's ban from Roanoke County's firing and driving range.

In the commissioner's office, Holland too has received criticism stemming largely from a municipal auditor's 2005 report that said his office wasn't effectively performing its duties and was losing as much as $500,000 to $1 million a year in tax revenue.

Then, last year he was criticized after a television news report that as many as 500 businesses had not paid the city's business, professional and occupational license tax.

Walker -- who previously worked for the Hammersley Group, a Lynchburg business that owned 11 luxury auto dealerships in central Virginia and the Roanoke Valley but sold off its holdings in September -- has wrapped much of his attack around those criticisms.

"I'd have an executable business plan that employees can measure up against and know at a glance if they're performing at a high level or not," Walker said. "I'd also do more cross-training. There's no reason for someone to call up and get an answer of, 'Well, the person who does that isn't here right now.' "

Walker raised $2,883 between July 1 and Aug. 31, with all but $50 coming from the city Republican committee. Most of his funding, however, came from a $10,000 loan to himself.

Holland is running on his experience: He's served as commissioner for 12 years and worked in the office for 28 years. He entered the campaign with an extensive war chest -- more than $16,000 -- and has only recently started countering Walker in the sign wars. It's worth noting, too, that Holland's first campaign in 1997 started with a loan.

Holland fired back at Walker's criticism with some shots of his own: "I think people's credentials will speak for themselves. You've got a total stranger -- a salesman, he's not from Roanoke -- trying to come in here and tell us how to run our house, with no credentials or experience.

"I think we do an incredible job," Holland said. "For anyone to suggest that we're not, I think is inaccurate."

The most recent campaign finance reporting period ended on Sept. 30. Those numbers are due by Oct. 15, when the reports should be available.