Eye On Politics: Democratic Primary For Dallas County Sheriff
DALLAS COUNTY — One of the more closely watched races for the March 5th primary is the Democratic contest for Dallas County Sheriff.
Incumbent Marian Brown is facing four challengers, including the woman who endorsed her for the job: former Sheriff Lupe Valdez.
The three other people in the Democratic primary are police training officer Sam Mohamad, security contractor Rodney Thomas, and former Dallas County Constable for Precinct 4, Roy Williams Jr.
We interviewed Brown and Valdez.
Sheriff Brown told CBS News Texas that she's kept her promise to voters.
"I think that they will see I have indeed been doing exactly what I told them. I told them they could trust me to be a good steward of their work and that's what I've been doing, doing the work."
When asked if she can win without a runoff Brown said, "I think I can."
But former Sheriff Lupe Valdez wants her old job back and is running against Brown in the Democratic primary.
"I finally decided, you know, let's go in there and get it done again."
Valdez served from 2005 until 2017 when she resigned to run for Governor.
She hired Brown in 2014 as the third in command in the department, and the county appointed Brown to succeed Valdez.
Brown was elected in 2018 and re-elected two years later.
Valdez acknowledged she brought Brown to the department and endorsed he,r but said some employees in the department urged her to run again.
"I will say I've had about 30 officers reach out to me, 98% of them have been African-American and I literally turn to them and say I endorsed her and wanted her there because I thought she would do something."
Brown responded, "We employ over 2100 employees and so when you have employees to that degree, you're going to have some people who are not happy. So if 30 people are asking her to return, I ask myself what is 30 in terms of percentage to 2100?"
In January, Sheriff Brown and other county leaders announced the jail passed its state inspection.
It comes after the jail failed its inspection in 2021 and 2022 during the pandemic.
Brown said she and the jail have moved past the issues that were raised.
"Yes, we have. It had things to do with rounds and of course, anytime you have an inspection you look at what it is you did well, what it is you didn't do so well and those things, you act on those things, you correct those things."
Brown pointed to her accomplishments.
She said she brought the department into compliance for the first time so staff can continue to have access to sensitive criminal justice information from the FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety.
The jail implemented a new electronic rounds system, where they can provide documentation on a device as they go.
Brown said she also established a community relations unit and core values. "Integrity, professionalism, accountability, we didn't have any such values before I became Sheriff. Now, it's what we live, breathe, and move by."
Valdez said when she took office in 2005, she inherited a mess.
The jail was in very bad shape and had failed state inspections.
It took until 2010 for the jail to pass.
Valdez said, "In 2005, I took over an overcrowded, understaffed, unsanitary jail. With the help of a lot of people, Commissioners Court, Parkland, maintenance, even non-profits helping us to get things, we changed it totally from what it was, a 180-degree difference."
Valez told CBS News Texas that she's concerned that the programs she had put in place to reduce the number of repeat offenders are no longer in place.
"We had 25 programs that within the first two years were gone. If you do stuff that shows that these folks will go out and start their life again, why are you getting rid of these programs?"
In response, Brown said, "There are other programs that are in place. They're not the same programs...It's just not reasonable to expect a new leader to come in and to keep in place everything that the previous leader had in place."
A candidate wins the primary outright with 50 percent plus one of the votes.
If not, there will be a primary runoff on Tuesday, May 28th.
Two candidates are running in the Republican primary, Wally Garza and Matt Hogg.
Because Dallas County is majority Democratic, the winner of the Democratic primary will likely win this November.
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