After a runoff Tuesday, Democrats will learn who is their candidate for governor -- ex-Dallas County sheriff Lupe Valdez against Houston businessman Andrew White, whose father, Mark, was governor from 1983 to 1987.
NBC 5 political reporter Julie Fine spoke with both candidates about issues facing the state of Texas.
They discussed education, border security, and working across the aisle. See their interviews below.
Valdez, Texas' first openly gay, Hispanic sheriff, topped White in March without cracking 50 percent. Both reacted to the Santa Fe shooting by calling for tightening gun sale limits and "universal background checks," while criticizing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for failing to stand up to the national gun lobby.
Beginning Tuesday, Abbott is convening statewide roundtables to discuss preventing future school shootings, but has failed to even mention the notion of gun control.
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So far, some students who survived the Santa Fe shooting have been more supportive of Abbott and wary of organizing in favor of the national gun control than their counterparts who survived the Feb. 14 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. That gives Abbott political cover if little comes out of the discussions.
Neither Valdez nor White should seriously challenge Abbott. Texas hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1990 and the party hasn't won any statewide office since four years after that -- the nation's longest political losing streak.
