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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Vows To Challenge Lupe Valdez On Border Issues

Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune
Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a get out the vote rally in Houston on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, the first day of early voting for Republican and Democratic primaries in Texas.

KINGWOOD — Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday vowed to challenge Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lupe Valdez over her views on border security and immigration, emphasizing an early contrast with the former Dallas County sheriff who has not yet secured her party's nomination. 

In an interview after a Tea Party meeting here, Abbott offered his most extensive comments on Valdez's candidacy yet, saying he and she "have been locked in a battle for an aspect of Texas ideology" that goes back to their clash three years ago over her department's policy on compliance with federal immigration authorities. Like he did in a tweet earlier this month — when he broke his silence on Valdez's campaign — Abbott treated her as the Democratic nominee Monday, despite the fact she is in a May 22 runoff against Andrew White, the son of late Gov. Mark White.

"It’s clear that she’s not only obviously the frontrunner and had the most votes in the initial go-around, but it’s our analysis that she’ll be the nominee," Abbott said. "And so every time she comes out and starts talking about ways that are antagonistic to the Texas perspective on making sure that we ban sanctuary cities, secure our border, I’m going to challenge her on it."

Valdez opposes the state's ban on "sanctuary cities" that Abbott signed into law last year, looking to punish local officials who do not fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. She has also been critical of his decision to heed the call of President Donald Trump and send hundreds of National Guard troops to the border earlier this month — criticism that prompted Abbott's April 4 tweet declaring her his November opponent. 

"I think she embodies the Obama approach, which is more open borders, obviously not enforcing the ban on sanctuary cities," Abbott said Monday. "We went through a big legislative process to make sure that Texas would pass a ban on sanctuary cities. If Lupe is elected, she will eviscerate that ban on sanctuary cities, and all these concerns that so many Texans have will be threatened."

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.

Patrick Svitek is a reporter for the Texas Tribune. He previously worked for the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau. He graduated in 2014 from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He originally is from Fort Wayne, Indiana.