Democratic rivals Valdez and White hold their own in Austin debate

May 12--Lupe Valdez and Andrew White held their one and only debate in the campaign to earn the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott for his seat in November.

Each of the candidates held their own, which was welcome news for Valdez, whose sometimes shaky performances in answering questions on the campaign trail had raised doubts about whether she was well-versed and sure-footed enough for the job.

"There were no knockouts in the debate," said University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus. "It's a split decision but White wins on points. He showed competency, honesty and likability, but it's likely too little too late to convince many progressive Democrats to support him or expand the pool of moderates to show up and vote."

"Expectations were very low for Sheriff Valdez but she had a strong performance and shushed critics who claim she's not well versed on policy matters," Rottinghaus said.

Valdez, the former Dallas County sheriff, led White, a Houston entrepreneur, 43 to 27 percent in the March 6 primary.

Rice University political scientist Mark Jones agreed that White showed that he had a better handle on major public policy issues and offered more concrete solutions to the challenges facing Texas than Valdez.

"While Valdez's debate performance was far from spectacular, it was sufficiently competent to not raise serious doubts among her supporters and provide White with a game-changing moment," Jones said.

White, as usual, seemed relaxed, and Valdez projected confidence, ending the debate on a rhetorical high note, her voice rising several decibels as she declared,"I am the candidate of the working Texan and I will never, ever, ever stop working for you!"

Some in the audience at St. James Episcopal Church, who had previously been instructed to remain silent by Dallas Morning News political reporter Gromer Jeffers, who moderated the debate, let loose with whoops and cheers.

Talking to reporters after the debate, Valdez picked up right where she left off.

"I'm the candidate of the people," Valdez said. "I'm the candidate of every Texan. I'm the candidate of a diverse and tolerant Texas."

White, who is personally opposed to abortion but promised to support abortion rights as governor, called Valdez out as "theatrical" during the debate when she accused him of having said that women who have abortions don't respect life, and that he owed women an apology.

White said he had never said that and that his personal views will not dictate policy.

"She made it up and I called her on it right on the spot," White said after the debate. "She came loaded for something and that was her bullet and she needed to shoot it."

Valdez responded by saying, "I said (to White) your statement implies that women who have abortions don't respect life. I don't think that's true, I think women who have abortions respect life," and explaining that if White opposes abortion on moral grounds, he must believe that those who don't oppose abortion, don't respect life.

While Valdez said there is room in the party for those with White's personal viewpoint, the party should nominate someone who can more wholeheartedly protect women's right to choose.

Valdez also said that while some Hispanic Texans may not believe in abortion, "they believe women are smart enough to make their own decisions."

"Abortion is health care," Valdez declared in the debate.

White also said he would like to see a return to sex education in the schools, instead of limiting instruction to abstinence only, which he said is not sufficient.

Both candidates said they support high quality, universal, full-day pre-K.

Noting that 80 percent of men and women in prison are illiterate and half are dyslexic, White said, "If I have to activate the National Guard to teach people how to read, I will."

Asked by reporters why he thought he was the better candidate to take on Abbott, White said, "Here's the data: Received the endorsement from every major newspaper in the state. Raised ten times as much money as Lupe has. You're going to have to raise money. I've proven I can do that. I've got the fight. We all know who Greg Abbott wants to run against. In tweet after tweet after tweet, he wants to run against Lupe Valdez."

White acknowledge either one of them would face an uphill battle to defeat Abbott.

But, both in the debate, and in the post-debate press conference, he said that Abbott received 2.8 million votes when he won election in 2014, and Hillary Clinton won four million votes in her loss to Trump in Texas in 2016, "and those Clinton voters are angry. I know, because I'm one of them, and they are going to come out to vote."

But, unlike Valdez, who is concentrating on rallying the Democratic base, White, who at various times has fashioned himself a conservative or moderate Democrat, said moderate Democrats are winning in Red States across the country. We saw it in Alabama, Virginia and Pennsylvania, and I think it can happen in Texas."

White said more reasonable Republicans, whose politics resemble those of House Speaker Joe Straus, are appalled and repelled by the GOP "crazy train," being driven by Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

"The Republican Party is in pieces. Nobody knows what the Republican Party stands for any more," White told reporters. "I think it stands for craziness. I think it stands for insanity. I think it stands for an extremist agenda."

Both White and Valdez said they would endorse the other if their rival prevails in the runoff.

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