Valdez garnered heavy support from people in Dallas County last night, leading the former Dallas County sheriff to victory over White, a Houston businessman and the son of late former Gov. Mark White.
Congratulations to @LupeValdez for winning the Democratic nomination for Governor of Texas. She has my endorsement and my support.
— Andrew White (@randrewwhite) May 23, 2018
Let’s #DoRightTX and win in November!
She will work through another uphill battle to try to oust Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott in November.
“Tell me when I didn’t have an uphill battle,” Valdez said in her victory speech. “I am getting darn good at uphill battles.”
Red-state governors' races are projected to be heated this year. Valdez was first elected as Dallas County sheriff the same night George W. Bush was elected for his second term as president.
By Wednesday morning, with just about every vote counted, Valdez had about 53 percent of the almost 430,000 people who showed up to vote.
“Now comes the hard part,” she said.
People on the left expressed exhilaration online about the Valdez win. The leading takeaway is that she’s the first openly lesbian woman and the first Latina to take the nomination.
Tonight, you made history by electing the first Latina and first openly LGBTQ Texan to serve as a major party nominee for governor of this great state. Congrats @LupeValdez! https://t.co/2v2FY0P2Nm pic.twitter.com/tpVZIxD8iK
— Texas Democrats (@texasdemocrats) May 23, 2018
STOP THE PRESSES: Lupe Valdez, an LGBT Latina woman formerly Sheriff of Dallas just secured the Democratic nomination for Governor in Texas. Y’ALL.
— Atima Omara (@atima_omara) May 23, 2018
Abbott’s account posted on Twitter a video advertisement that portrayed his opponent as “vague” and uninformed outside of law enforcement issues, citing opinion articles from The Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle and Fort Worth Star-Telegram, among other outlets.
As Lupe Valdez continues in her struggle to give definitive answers on questions like whether or not she would raise taxes on Texans, @GregAbbott_TX will be crisscrossing the state to share his message of economic freedom and individual liberty. pic.twitter.com/hizQWOLrN5
— Texans for Abbott (@AbbottCampaign) May 23, 2018
Most of the people inside Ellen’s obviously supported Valdez. Some outside of the restaurant hadn't kept up with the election. One guy at a Dallas Area Rapid Transit station a few blocks away said, “I’m not into it." Another, a man from Louisiana who traveled to Dallas four years ago on a Greyhound, said he was homeless.
“I live under that bridge right there,” he said, nodding to the Interstate 35 overpass area. “I ain’t watched TV in four years,” he said.
“It ain't harming me or helping me,” he said. “It don’t affect me. It might, maybe, if I get locked up.”
Inside, Valdez told her supporters through TV news cameras and Facebook Live videos, “All of us, together, we’re gonna fight for change.”