DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - Lupe Valdez, the former sheriff of Dallas County, announced Thursday she is running for reelection in the county's 2024 race for the same role.
In her announcement, Valdez said she was called on by numerous colleagues and friends, encouraging her to consider running again for sheriff.
"I am honored with their encouragement and look forward to a lively campaign," Valdez said in a statement. "There is still much work to do in Dallas County, and as I have told my supporters and campaign team, I am not done yet."
Valdez was elected as Dallas County Sheriff in 2004, one of the first Democrats elected countywide in years. She was the only Latina sheriff in the United States at the time and the first openly lesbian sheriff in Dallas County.
In 2017, Valdez resigned during her fourth term as sheriff to run for governor. She became the Democratic nominee in 2018 but lost to incumbent Republican Greg Abbott.
Valdez pledges "to lift the morale of the Dallas County Sheriff's Office employees who were on the frontlines of the Covid Epidemic and most recently experienced major technical issues that have led to a rise in the jail population, the inability for courts and attorneys to access criminal history files and not receiving their paychecks on time."
Marian Brown was appointed interim sheriff in 2017. The chief deputy of general services at the time, Brown became the first African American sheriff in Dallas County and one of five Black female sheriffs in the United States. She has since been elected twice to the position.
"We are focused on making Dallas County safer and running an efficient, effective office," Brown said of her campaign for reelection. "Let's keep the progress going!"
S.E. Jenkins is a digital content producer for CBS Texas. S.E. has previously held roles in London and Ukraine. She has also been a Digital Content Producer in Tallahassee and Myrtle Beach. S.E. graduated with journalism degrees from Texas State University, Aarhus Universitet and City University of London.
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