Dem hopeful Valdez talks guns, immigration
Former sheriff explains lackluster funding in gubernatorial bid.
Democrat Lupe Valdez, six weeks into her run for Texas governor, took exception to Republican handling of immigration, gun laws and the state’s rainy day fund during a wide-ranging discussion Thursday in Austin.
Valdez also defended lackluster fundraising numbers after her campaign collected only $46,000 in the past 3½ weeks of December, well behind Democratic rival Andrew White, who raised $219,000 in roughly the same amount of time.
Fundraising took a back seat to finishing her time as Dallas County sheriff — a 13-year job she left Dec. 31 to run for governor, Valdez told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith during a public conversation.
“That’s going to go up,” she said, adding that her campaign has been collecting $300 to $500 a day this month — totals campaign spokesman Kiefer Odell later said were inaccurate.
“We’ve raised substantially more,” Odell said. “Our next report will reflect it.”
Seven lesser-known Democratic rivals raised far less. The winner of the March 6 Democratic primary — or a potential May 22 runoff — election will likely face Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in November.
Valdez’s campaign recently unveiled several policy priorities — including improved education, water supplies and transportation options. Asked how she would pay for the initiatives, Valdez said she saw opportunities to close a property tax “loophole” that values commercial property at lower rates than residential property.
Valdez also said she would never support a state income tax, was open to raising taxes if needed and supported tapping the rainy day fund to help build roads and bridges, fund education and create jobs — a sharp difference from Republican leaders who believe the economic stabilization fund should be tapped rarely and for one-time emergency expenses.
“You are not going to drain it,”