Lupe Valdez officially kicked off her "Lupe for Texas" campaign for Governor Sunday in Dallas.
Valdez is running for the Democratic nomination to try to unseat Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
The former Dallas County Sheriff held the event at the Tyler Station the Oak Cliff neighborhood.
Dozens of people were there, cheering for the gubernatorial candidate as she took the stage.
Valdez spoke about her past employment history with service in the military, working for the federal government and the Dallas County Sheriff's office.
"I believe in a life of service, and I don't believe you should just sit there and gripe without doing anything. Therefore it is my obligation, estoy obligada, for everyone's fair shot to get ahead," said Valdez.
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Valdez has been the sheriff of Dallas County for 12 years. Her announcement to run for Governor makes her the most prominent Democrat in the race after bigger names passed on trying to break Republicans' 22-year hold on the Texas governor's mansion.
Valdez will face a crowded field of Democrats in the primary on March 6th, including Andrew White. He's the son of late Democratic Texas Governor Mark White. The Houston-native is campaigning as a conservative Democrat.
Texas hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1990 and Abbott coasted to a 20-point win just three years ago against Wendy Davis, whose defense of abortion rights catapulted her to national political stardom.
In Valdez, 70, Democrats are now putting up a far different candidate: a one-time migrant worker and Army veteran with more than 40 years in law enforcement. She was Texas' first openly gay sheriff and has publicly clashed with Abbott over her handling of federal immigration detainers in the nation's seventh-largest jail system.
Several other lesser-known Democrats, including the son of a former Texas governor in the 1980s, are also running. But the true Democratic heavyweights took a pass, including Julian Castro, who was President Barack Obama's housing secretary and is a former mayor of San Antonio.
Texas Democrats have faced uncomfortable questions for months about whether they can field a credible gubernatorial candidate. Valdez, a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent, says she is a proud Democrat.
