The next big Texas election isn't that far away. The primaries are March 6 and early voting begins Feb. 20.
On this episode of Texas Matters, we talk to two Democratic candidates running for their party’s nominations: Andrew White and Lupe Valdez.
In the governor’s race, incumbent Greg Abbott isn’t facing a serious challenge for the Republican party’s nomination. But for the Democrats, there are a number of candidates competing to see which of them will face Abbott in the general election. But two candidates have risen to the top, based on their campaign fund raising: White and Valdez. And as we shift our focus to the general election, we’ll keep an interview invitation open to Abbott.
White, a Houston businessman, has never run for elected office before. He is the son of former Governor Mark White. He calls himself a "common sense Democrat." And when asked about that title, White says he's adopted it because the current leadership lacks common sense.
Valdez is the former sheriff for Dallas County. She resigned from the elected law enforcement position to make this run for the nomination. Valdez said she decided to jump into this statewide race after watching the events of the last legislative session. She said the leadership was pushing bills that discriminated against Texans, like the "Bathroom Bill." She added that state leaders should be bringing Texans together, not forcing them apart.
David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org or on Twitter @DavidMartinDavi
