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Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown wins Democratic primary runoff

Dallas County Sheriff Brown, former Sheriff Valdez debate before primary runoff
Dallas County Sheriff Brown, former Sheriff Valdez debate before primary runoff 03:08

DALLAS — Democratic Texans voted to keep Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown around, as 68% favored her over former Sheriff Lupe Valdez.

When announcing her run for reelection, Brown said she's in the process of planning a series of gun buybacks around the country to combat gun violence. 

In 2017, Valdez hand-picked Brown to succeed her.

Brown was then elected in 2018, becoming the first Black sheriff in Dallas County and one of only a handful of Black female sheriffs in the United States. She was reelected in 2020.

Valdez, who was elected to be Dallas County Sheriff in 2004, was also a trailblazer while serving. 

She was the only Latina sheriff in the U.S. and one of the first openly LGBTQ elected officials in the country. She was also one of the first Democrats to have won countywide in years. She was reelected multiple times, until she resigned in 2017 to run for governor.

In April, both Sheriff Marian Brown and former Sheriff Valdez made their case to dozens of members of the Dallas Democratic Forum on why they should win their Democratic primary runoff. Both Valdez and Brown said what gives them the most satisfaction on the job is identifying what needs to be improved and making it better.  

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