Eye On Politics: Previewing Primaries For Dallas County Sheriff, Texas House District 2

TEXAS — The March 5th primary is around the corner, and early voting starts Tuesday, February 20. 

On this week’s Eye On Politics, which is now on air and streaming at 7:30 Sunday morning, we profile two hotly contested primary contests: The Democratic primary for Dallas County Sheriff and the Republican primary for Texas House District 2 in Hunt, Hopkins, and Van Zandt counties.

In Dallas County, the incumbent Sheriff Marian Brown faces four challengers, including Lupe Valdez who was Dallas County Sheriff before Brown.

Three other Democrats are running including police training officer Sam Mohamad, security contractor Rodney Thomas, and former Dallas County Constable for Precinct 4, Roy Williams Jr.    

CBS News Texas interviewed both Sheriff Brown and former Sheriff Valdez, the two frontrunners, about their contest.

Valdez said she entered the race after 30 current employees at the Dallas County jail reached out to her and urged her to run again.

Brown said she is running on her record of accomplishments.

They each explained why they believe Dallas County Democrats should vote for them. 

Sheriff Brown said, “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.”

Former Sheriff Valdez said, “Experience matters. Success matters. How you treat your employees matters.”

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.

In the race for Texas House District 2, it’s a rematch.

On Tuesday, Jill Dutton won the special election runoff for the House seat, beating fellow Republican Brent Money by just 111 votes, 50.4 percent to 49.6 percent.

They will complete the term vacated by Republican Bryan Slaton, who House members expelled after finding he got a 19-year-old intern drunk and had sex with her.

Money and Dutton will face off against each other again in the March 5th Republican primary.

CBS News Texas asked each of them how they intend to attract these voters.

Dutton said, “What they care about is border security and lowering property taxes and replacing the President that’s currently in the White House. They’re focused on those three things and that’s what we’ve been talking about.” 

Money said, “Instead of a special election runoff in late January, we’re going to have President Donald Trump on the ballot. We’re going to have other local elections on the ballot. That will drive turnout.” 

Democrat Kristen Washington is also running for this seat.

This is a Republican district, and so the winner of the Republican primary will also likely win in November.

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