Skip to main content
2024 Texas Elections

Dallas County sheriff to face predecessor Lupe Valdez, who ran for governor in 2018, in runoff election

Valdez ran the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department until 2017, when she stepped down to run against Gov. Greg Abbott.

Republish
Former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, left, and current Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown
Former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, left, and current Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown. Credit: Dallas County Sheriff Department

Sign up for the We the Texans newsletter to receive twice-monthly updates on our year-long initiative dedicated to boosting civic engagement and chronicling how democracy is experienced in Texas.

Lupe Valdez, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2018, is heading to a runoff election against incumbent Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown.

Brown led the Democratic ticket with 42% of votes and Valdez followed with 38%, according to unofficial results. Three other Democratic contenders — retired Dallas County Constable Roy Williams Jr., police training instructor Sam Mohamed and former federal correctional officer Rodney Thomas were also on the Democratic ticket but together won less than 20% of votes. With no Republican challengers on the ballot, the winner of the May 28 runoff will run unopposed in the November general election.

Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections

  • What other elections should I know about?

    Texas voters may be able to participate in the following elections:
    - May 4 elections for many local elected offices and bond propositions that are not part of county government. The voter registration deadline is April 4.
    - May 28 primary runoffs for elected offices in which no candidate won more than half of the votes during the March Republican and Democratic primaries. The voter registration deadline is April 29.
    - Nov. 5 general elections for many state, federal and county offices. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 7.

  • Are there rules at the polls?

    Cellphones, cameras, computers and other devices that can record sound or images cannot be used within 100 feet of voting stations (where ballots are marked). There are usually traffic cones or signs indicating this. Campaigning, including wearing clothing or other items that publicize candidates, political parties or measures on the ballot, is also banned beyond this point. Voters are allowed to use written notes to cast their ballot at the discretion of election officers, who may determine if the material counts as campaigning. Firearms, including handguns, are also prohibited at polling places, according to Texas law.

  • What are my rights as a voter?

    Voters have the right to:
    - cast a provisional ballot if they are registered but their name does not appear on the list of registered voters because of an administrative issue
    - get written instructions about how to cast a ballot or to ask a polling place officer or worker (but not about who or what to vote for)
    - use up to two additional ballots to make corrections if a voter makes a mistake while marking their ballot
    - generally cast their ballots in secret and should not be subject to intimidation
    - get interpretation, assistance or accommodations to vote if they have a disability or limited English proficiency
    - vote during work hours without being penalized or losing pay (this may not apply if a worker has two hours before or after work to go vote)
    - cast their ballot as long as they’re in line by 7 p.m. on Election Day
    A state law passed in 2023 also allows voters with disabilities or mobility problems to skip the line at their polling location and requires each polling location to have a designated parking spot for curbside voting.

  • What if I was planning to vote in person, but I have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or get sick?

    If you have contracted COVID-19 or are exhibiting symptoms, consider requesting an emergency early voting ballot or using curbside voting.
    Emergency ballot: These ballots can be requested if you become sick or disabled close to an election and are unable to go to a polling place on Election Day. To qualify, you must designate a representative to submit an application in person on your behalf and have a certified doctor’s note. The application must be received by your county’s early voting clerk before 5 p.m. on Election Day.
    Your ballot must be returned by the same designated representative before 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Contact your county elections office for more details about an emergency early-voting ballot due to sickness or disability.
    Curbside voting: You can also contact your county elections office to determine if you’re eligible for curbside voting, which must be made available at every polling place for voters with disabilities unable to enter a polling location.

  • What can I do if I have trouble voting?

    At the polls, voters can talk to election officers or poll workers if they run into issues. The secretary of state’s office has a helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) to reach state attorneys available to assist voters and election officials with questions. A coalition of voting rights groups runs voter protection hotlines in several languages. Disability Rights Texas also offers a helpline for people with disabilities.

  • Read more
Supported by 

That wasn’t the case in 2004, when Valdez was first elected Dallas County’s sheriff, narrowly beating a Republican. She was the first Latina in the role and one of few openly lesbian officeholders in Texas. During her tenure, Valdez oversaw one of the nation’s largest county jail systems, which struggled with inadequate inmate health care, poor ventilation and insufficient staff training.

The U.S. Justice Department sued Valdez and the county, arguing that their poor facilities violated inmates’ constitutional rights. They dropped their suit in 2011, after the jail finally passed a state inspection in 2010 — thanks to more than $138 million that county officials spent renovating the facility.

Valdez, who now works as a DeSoto Police Department officer, has said that she decided to run for her old job after learning about some “painful” incidents that she did not detail. Her campaign manager, Mike Hendrix, said she wants to return to the post because of low morale among deputies and jailors.

Under Brown’s leadership, the Dallas County Jail failed two annual state inspections before returning to compliance last year. The jail has struggled with long waitlists for people who need to be transferred from the jail to state mental health facilities and was at the center of a six-year legal dispute over bail practices. A new criminal case management system also contributed to jail overcrowding, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Hendrix said Tuesday evening that Valdez was excited to move into a runoff against Brown, her successor.

“Our strategy was always to make it into a runoff so we can go head to head and start talking about the sheriff’s record,” Hendrix said. “Suicide rates are up, murders in the jail are up, deaths in the jail are up, morale is very low.”

Brown’s campaign team could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Valdez ran the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department until 2017, when she stepped down to run for governor. She won the Democratic primary in a runoff election but lost to incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott in the November general election.

That election came after Valdez clashed with Abbott over a new state immigration law that banned cities from declaring themselves safe havens or “sanctuary cities,” meaning they would not enforce federal immigration statutes. The 2017 Texas law also allowed Texas police officers to question the immigration status of anyone they detained. Valdez said she would soften her approach to detaining undocumented immigrants booked in Dallas County jail.

When Valdez left the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, she endorsed Marian Brown as her replacement. Brown, who became the counties’ first Black sheriff, began her career in law enforcement in 1988 with the Duncanville Police Department, according to her campaign website, and she served as a lieutenant and assistant police chief there before becoming sheriff.

Valdez was born in San Antonio to a family of migrant farm workers. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Nazarene University and a master’s in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Before entering local government, Valdez served in the U.S. Army, where she attained the rank of captain. She then worked as a federal agent for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and later for the Department of Homeland Security, where she focused on fraud and drug cases.

We can’t wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas’ breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.

Correction, : Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Lupe Valdez beat a Republican incumbent when she ran for Dallas County Sheriff in 2004. Valdez defeated Republican Danny Chandler, who had beat the incumbent in the Republican primary.

Texans need truth. Help us report it.

Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount?

Yes, I'll donate today

Information about the authors

Pooja Salhotra’s staff photo

Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.

Explore related story topics

Criminal justice Politics State government