NOW its official: Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez is running for governor
Its official, and this time its for sure: Lupe Valdez is resigning her post as sheriff of Dallas County to run for governor of Texas. That makes her the second LGBT person running in the Democratic Primary; businessman Jeffrey Payne announced his candidacy this summer and officially filed in the race on Monday, Dec. 4.
Valdez announced her intention this morning (Wednesday, Dec. 6) around 6 p.m., and will make the official announcement just before noon at the Dallas County Democratic Party Headquarters. She will also submit her letter of resignation to the Dallas County Commissioners, giving commissioners the chance to start looking for a temporary replacement.
Valdez has until 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, to actually file for the primary. According to Ballotpedia, there are six other candidates who have announced their intentions to run in the Democratic Primary. Valdezs official announcement comes about a week after the has-she/hasnt-she uproar that erupted when someone in the Dallas County Democratic Party told media outlets that Valdez had already resigned as sheriff to enter the race.
In the statement released this morning, Valdez said:
Like so many hardworking Texans, I know its tough deciding between buying food, finding a decent place to live, and setting aside money for college tuition. Opportunity in Texas ought to be as big as this great state, but it is out of reach for far too many, thats why Im running for Texas governor. Im a proud Texas Democrat. I believe good government can make peoples lives better, and I intend to do just that.
Read more: https://www.dallasvoice.com/now-official-lupe-running-governor-10246453.html