Marian Brown beats Lupe Valdez in Dallas sheriff's race

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune's daily newsletter that keeps readers up to date on the most essential Texas news.

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

In a statement Tuesday night, Valdez conceded defeat to Brown, who was leading with 67 percent of the vote as of 11 p.m.

“This race was never about me, this race was about highlighting the many problems with the Dallas County Sheriff's Department,” Valdez said. “I was honored to be able to bring attention to the many issues affecting deputies, the morale and safety of our inmates and the citizens of Dallas County. My prayer is that our campaign will shed light on these issues and that it leads to an improvement Sheriff's Department.

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

Polls in Dallas County remained open until 9 p.m. Tuesday evening after heavy rain and straight-line winds swept across North Texas, leaving dozens of voting centers without power.

Dallas County had planned to open 281 polling places at 7 a.m. Tuesday, but more than 100 were without power and were unable to open, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. Jenkins issued a local disaster declaration Tuesday morning.

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

Dallas County is holding countywide voting, so registered voters can 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 one of the largest in the country, which can house up to about 7,100 inmates.

Tuesday's runoff follows months of reports of overcrowding and long stays in the Dallas County jail. These problems 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 reported.

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

In March's crowded Democratic primary, Brown received 42 percent of the vote and Valdez came in right behind her with 38 percent. No Republican candidates filed in the primary, meaning Tuesday's winner is expected to claim victory in November.

Brown, who is Dallas County's first black sheriff, said during a recent debate with Valdez that the system is not owned by the jail but is a county court system. And she said she didn't want to keep people in prison who should be released.

Both Brown and Valdez are considered pioneers in their fields.

Brown began 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 Latino sheriff elected in Dallas County and one of the few openly lesbian officials in Texas. Since losing her bid for governor, she has worked as a police officer in DeSoto. Low morale among Dallas County deputies and jailers prompted Valdez to run for his old position, his campaign team told The Tribune.

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

We have big things in store for you at the Texas Tribune Festival, taking place September 5-7 in downtown Austin. Join us for three days of big, bold conversations about politics, public policy, and the news of the day.