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Hispanic Lesbian Makes History in Dallas Poll
Dallas County, the home to some of the biggest conservative supporters of President Bush, made history Tuesday night by electing an openly gay Hispanic woman as its sheriff.
Democrat Lupe Valdez, 57, pulled off one of the biggest surprises in the Texas races by defeating Republican Danny Chandler.
Democrat Lupe Valdez, 57, pulled off one of the biggest surprises in the Texas races by defeating Republican Danny Chandler.
"Dallas is an international county," Valdez told reporters. That is what I want to represent."
She will be the first Democrat to serve as Dallas County sheriff in about 30 years. Valdez boasted that she has worked on law enforcement at a local, national and international level.
Valdez was an accomplished officer with U.S. Customs and other federal agencies who also served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves. She was endorsed by the main local daily the Dallas Morning News, which saw her as the best person to clean up a scandal-tainted sheriff's department.
Her predecessor, Sheriff Jim Bowles, a Republican, cast a shadow over the department when law enforcement officials said earlier this year he was being investigated on suspicion of receiving kickbacks for contracts from a vendor for the county jail.
Valdez's opponent Chandler was a veteran of the sheriff's department and political observers said the scandal may have tainted his campaign.
"We are tickled that Dallas County voters managed to shatter at least four different stereotypes in one fell swoop," the Dallas Morning News said in an editorial.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6704412
She will be the first Democrat to serve as Dallas County sheriff in about 30 years. Valdez boasted that she has worked on law enforcement at a local, national and international level.
Valdez was an accomplished officer with U.S. Customs and other federal agencies who also served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves. She was endorsed by the main local daily the Dallas Morning News, which saw her as the best person to clean up a scandal-tainted sheriff's department.
Her predecessor, Sheriff Jim Bowles, a Republican, cast a shadow over the department when law enforcement officials said earlier this year he was being investigated on suspicion of receiving kickbacks for contracts from a vendor for the county jail.
Valdez's opponent Chandler was a veteran of the sheriff's department and political observers said the scandal may have tainted his campaign.
"We are tickled that Dallas County voters managed to shatter at least four different stereotypes in one fell swoop," the Dallas Morning News said in an editorial.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6704412
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DALLAS -- An openly gay Hispanic woman claimed victory Tuesday night in the race for Dallas County sheriff.
Democrat Lupe Valdez, 57, is the first woman elected sheriff in the county. Valdez, a 28-year federal agent who worked on fraud, organized crime and drug cases, said her election proved Dallas County is an international county welcoming people of all backgrounds.
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"Look at this room," she said at a victory rally. "All ethnic groups, all walks of life, rich or poor, gay or straight, whatever, we are an international town and this is what I bring to this.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Valdez had 51 percent of the vote against Republican Danny Chandler, a 29-year sheriff's department veteran who ousted embattled incumbent Jim Bowles in the GOP primary.
"Dallas County can now say that a Hispanic woman that was a migrant worker can now be the highest law enforcement officer in the county," she said.
In his campaign, Chandler, 53, frequently attacked his former boss, who served 21 years as sheriff, for business dealings that resulted in a grand jury investigation and an indictment that was eventually thrown out.
But Valdez told voters they would be better served by electing a sheriff with no connections to the previous administration.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, an organization that supports political candidates who are gay, endorsed Valdez. Chandler criticized the endorsement, saying it would be inappropriate for a sheriff to advocate the fund's platforms on gay and lesbian political issues.
"It just simply is not relevant," Valdez told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram last week. "Desperate people do desperate things, and I think they're reaching."
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2881950
Democrat Lupe Valdez, 57, is the first woman elected sheriff in the county. Valdez, a 28-year federal agent who worked on fraud, organized crime and drug cases, said her election proved Dallas County is an international county welcoming people of all backgrounds.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Look at this room," she said at a victory rally. "All ethnic groups, all walks of life, rich or poor, gay or straight, whatever, we are an international town and this is what I bring to this.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Valdez had 51 percent of the vote against Republican Danny Chandler, a 29-year sheriff's department veteran who ousted embattled incumbent Jim Bowles in the GOP primary.
"Dallas County can now say that a Hispanic woman that was a migrant worker can now be the highest law enforcement officer in the county," she said.
In his campaign, Chandler, 53, frequently attacked his former boss, who served 21 years as sheriff, for business dealings that resulted in a grand jury investigation and an indictment that was eventually thrown out.
But Valdez told voters they would be better served by electing a sheriff with no connections to the previous administration.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, an organization that supports political candidates who are gay, endorsed Valdez. Chandler criticized the endorsement, saying it would be inappropriate for a sheriff to advocate the fund's platforms on gay and lesbian political issues.
"It just simply is not relevant," Valdez told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram last week. "Desperate people do desperate things, and I think they're reaching."
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2881950
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