Polls are now closed for three dozen primary runoffs in North Texas where no candidate captured 50 percent of the votes cast in crowded fields during the March 6 primary.
An Hispanic female ex-sheriff has won the Democratic runoff to become the first openly gay and first Latina nominated for governor.
While Lupe Valdez's victory Tuesday breaks barriers, the 70-year-old former Dallas County sheriff faces long odds of ousting Republican Gov. Greg Abbott this fall.
She defeated Andrew White, the son of a former governor who pitched himself as a moderate Democrat in deep-red Texas.
The runoff generated little enthusiasm among Democrats. Valdez has struggled to raise money and fumbled some questions on policy. Party activists have also attacked her for cooperating with federal immigration agents as sheriff.
Theirs is the only statewide race requiring a second round of voting.
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The latest news from around North Texas.
But in 17 U.S. House districts, 11 on the Democratic side and six involving Republicans, the top-two March finishers were on the ballot again Tuesday to advance to the uniform election this fall. Same goes for assorted state House seats, and one Democratic primary in a Texas Senate district.
U.S. House - District 3 Runoff
In Collin County, where another longtime congressman, U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX 3rd District), is retiring, Lorie Burch won the runoff with 75% of the vote. She will face State Sen. Van Taylor, of Plano, who won the GOP nomination in the primary.
U.S. House - District 5 Runoff
Another retiring congressman, U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, leaves a vacancy in the 5th District that covers East Dallas into East Texas. Entrepreneur Bunni Pounds was defeated in a small margin by State Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Terrell). Gooden won 53% of the vote.
U.S. House - District 6 Runoff
In North Texas, the District 6 race for the seat once held by longtime Republican Congressman Joe Barton has runoffs on both the Republican and Democratic sides. Former Tarrant County Tax Assessor, and Barton staffer, Ron Wright won the nomination in a race against Jake Ellzey.
On the Democratic side, Jana Lynne Sanchez defeated Ruby Faye Woolridge for the District 6 seat.
U.S. House - District 32 Runoff
Colin Allred defeated Lillian Salerno, both Democrats, in the U.S. House - District 32 runoff. Allred was put in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue program following the March primary. The program helps fund congressional campaigns for Democrats. Allred now faces U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions in the general.
Tarrant County Tax Assessor/Collector
Former Mansfield City Councilwoman Wendy Burgess defeated former NBC 5 anchor Mike Snyder in the Republican primary runoff for the tax assessor seat left vacant by Ron Wright, who is in the Dist. 6 run-off. Burgess will face former NBC 5 staffer Ollie Anderson in the general. Anderson, a Democrat, ran unopposed in the March primary.
