Sheriff Valdez speaks at the Round-Up after being re-elected to 3rd term

Sheriff Lupe Valdez receives applause Tuesday night at The Round-Up Saloon after her victory had been declared. (Anna Waugh/Dallas Voice)

With results showing her well ahead of her Republican challenger, lesbian Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez declared victory at the Round-Up Saloon on Tuesday night.

With 330 of 1,000 precincts reporting, Valdez had 58 percent of the vote to Republican Kirk Launius’ 41 percent.

“I’m blessed, I’m honored and continually grateful for the progressiveness of Dallas County,” Valdez told Dallas Voice after addressing the crowd. “This has to be a very progressive county or they wouldn’t keep putting in someone like me continually.”

Admitting that her first term in office was a challenge, Valdez said she has proven herself as sheriff in the change she has brought to the department during her second term.

“It’s not the same department that I got when I went in there. It is totally different,” she said. “So, we’ve done a job of bringing about change. And change is never an easy thing to do. The first four years were quite a struggle but after the second term, things started to flow. We want to continue to build on the progress so we can continue doing a good job.”