Lupe Valdez loses primary runoff to Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown

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Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown defeated Lupe Valdez in a primary runoff Tuesday, clearing the way for the incumbent to win another term.

In a Tuesday evening statement, Valdez conceded defeat to Brown, who was leading with 67% of votes as of 11 p.m.

"This race was never about me, this race was about highlighting the many problems at the Dallas County Sheriff Department," Valdez said. "I was honored to be able to bring attention to the many issues affecting deputies, morale and the safety of our inmates and the citizens of Dallas County. My prayer is that our campaign brought light to these issues and that they will lead to an improved Sheriff's department."

Valdez served as Dallas County’s sheriff from 2005 until 2017, when she stepped down to run for governor and endorsed Brown as her replacement. Valdez won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2018, but lost to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the November general election.

In a statement late Tuesday night, Brown said she had not yet heard directly from Valdez.

"I am thankful to voters for once again, trusting me to serve in this important position," Brown said. "We look forward to continuing our progress."

Polling locations in Dallas County remained open until 9 p.m. on Tuesday evening after heavy rain and straight-line winds tore through North Texas leaving dozens of voting centers without power.

Dallas County had planned to open 281 polling places at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, but more than 100 were without power and could not open, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. Jenkins issued a local disaster declaration on Tuesday morning.

As of 5:30 p.m., 84 polling places remained offline, according to Dallas County’s interactive map. A court order prompted Dallas County’s election office to extend voting hours by two hours.

Dallas County has countywide polling, so registered voters could vote at any polling place for the runoff election. Still, dangerous weather conditions may have impacted voter turnout.

The sheriff oversees the Dallas County Jail, the second largest jail in Texas and among the largest in the country, which can house up to about 7,100 inmates.

Tuesday’s runoff followed months of reports of overcrowding and lengthy stays at Dallas County Jail. Those issues have plagued county jails across the state but have been exacerbated in Dallas County by a new criminal case management system, the Dallas Morning News has reported.

Last month, county commissioners awarded a $100,000 federal civil rights settlement after keeping a man jailed past when a judge said he had served his time. They also paid a separate $60,000 settlement after keeping a man in jail beyond his release date.

In the crowded Democratic primary in March, Brown secured 42% of votes and Valdez came in just behind her with 38%. No Republican candidate ran in the primary, which means Tuesday’s winner is expected to sail to victory in November.

Brown, who is Dallas County’s first Black sheriff, said during a recent debate with Valdez that the system doesn’t belong to the jail but is a county court system. And she said she does not want to keep people in jail who should be out.

Both Brown and Valdez are considered pioneers in their field.

Brown started her law enforcement career with the Duncanville Police Department in 1988, where she was the first Black woman hired by the department. When she retired in 2014, she joined the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department.

Valdez was the first Latina elected sheriff in Dallas County and one of few openly lesbian officeholders in Texas. Since losing her gubernatorial bid, she has worked as a DeSoto police officer. Low morale among Dallas County deputies and jailers inspired Valdez to vie for her old post, her campaign team previously told The Tribune.

During Valdez’ tenure, the county jail also faced problems, such as inadequate inmate health care and poor ventilation. The facility failed state inspection eight times from 2004 to 2010 and was under a federal court order to improve mental and medical health care following a Department of Justice investigation. County officials spent more than $138 million to renovate the jail and finally passed the state inspection in August 2010.

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