AUSTIN — A group of young Latino voters has endorsed Andrew White for governor instead of his opponent, former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, after she struggled to answer questions about her record on immigration during a forum Sunday.

Karla Quiñones, an 18-year-old from Dallas' W.T. White High School, asked the former sheriff about her office's history of cooperation with federal immigration authorities, including complying with detention orders. Quiñones reminded Valdez of the opposition to her policies, mentioning how activists walked out of a meeting her office had organized with immigration authorities.

"Why should we trust you today?" she asked.

"I'm going to fight for as much immigration as I can, but immigration is a federal issue," Valdez said. She then touted her opposition to the state's sanctuary city ban and her support for immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants.

Her answer seemed to play into the decision by Jolt to endorse White in the May 22 runoff for the Democratic nomination for governor. After Valdez's appearance, the group tweeted:

"We would have liked to see Lupe Valdez go more in detail on her Dallas county record."

We would have liked to see @LupeValdez go more in detail on her Dallas county record. #joltthevote https://t.co/WwgMpoFXf5 — Jolt (@JoltAction) April 29, 2018

Jolt, which is based in Austin and works to mobilize Latino voters, also endorsed Beto O'Rourke, a Democratic congressman who is running for U.S. Senate against Sen. Ted Cruz.

"From supporting access to health care for all Texans to committing to comprehensive immigration reform that allows our families to live free from the fear of separation, these candidates have shown their commitment to improving the lives of Latinos," Cristina Tzintzun, the founder and executive director of the group, said in a news release.

Quiñones, a member of the group's endorsement committee, said Valdez' answers were too general. "She could have gone more in-depth. That does affect my own decision," she said.

White pounced on the issue.

"Lupe needs to answer those questions and today she didn't," White told reporters after the event. "The young lady who asked those questions deserves an answer."

After repeated questions from reporters after the event, Valdez said there was a "misunderstanding" of her track record on immigration. She said what she can say is limited because of ongoing lawsuits involving the sheriff's office immigration policies. But she said she was a leader on immigration and had been a target of state leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, because of her stances.

Valdez said she was one of the local leaders who stood against Senate Bill 4, the state's sanctuary city ban.

"If you look at the record, I was fighting before then," she said.

The organizers from Jolt asked White about his ownership of a border security company. He responded that the company, Geovex Security, provides technology to detect if a person is being smuggled in a tractor trailer.

"[It's] to make sure there's not somebody suffocating in the back of the trailer," White said. "It's used to protect people's lives."

The "Jolt the Vote" event also included O'Rourke and Miguel Suazo, the Democratic candidate for Texas land commissioner. Organizers said they reached out to all candidates running for statewide office.

The appearance of both Democratic candidates for governor came at a time when White, who is seen as the underdog in the race, has repeatedly called for a debate.

O'Rourke said he didn't hear Valdez's speech, so he is still undecided about which candidate to support. But he added: "There does need to be a debate. We are owed that."

White and Valdez also spoke about their support for more funding for public education, which both said could come from the state's border security budget. They also agreed, without offering many details, on increasing access to health care. Neither directly tackled questions on how to reel in the incentives the state gives out-of-state businesses through the Texas Enterprise Fund.