Updated at 3 p.m. Wednesday: Adds remarks from Valdez's speech at Texas Democratic Party headquarters and a response from the Abbott campaign.

Democrat Lupe Valdez resigned as Dallas County sheriff Wednesday to run for governor against incumbent Republican Greg Abbott.

In an announcement speech peppered with Spanish phrases after filing her candidacy for governor in Austin, Valdez recounted her upbringing as a migrant farmer's daughter and pitched a vision of a campaign that would reach out to a diverse group of Texans.

{"type":"video","title":"Dallas News Video","author_name":"Dallas News","_id":"hzdnlrZDE6lwpFMzy6aUW47iOrEny_m8","provider_name":"Ooyala","html":"

","raw":"{\"type\":\"video\",\"title\":\"Dallas News Video\",\"author_name\":\"Dallas News\",\"_id\":\"hzdnlrZDE6lwpFMzy6aUW47iOrEny_m8\",\"provider_name\":\"Ooyala\",\"html\":\"\\u003Cdiv class=\\\"oo-vid-container\\\" data-oo-content-id=\\\"hzdnlrZDE6lwpFMzy6aUW47iOrEny_m8\\\"\\u003E\\u003C\\/div\\u003E\\u003Cscript defer src=\\\"https:\\/\\/www.dallasnews.com\\/resources\\/motif\\/dist\\/js\\/ooyala.js\\\"\\u003E\\u003C\\/script\\u003E\"}","providerType":"ooyala","providerLink":"https://www.dallasnews.com/oembed","embedType":"video"}

"If we listen to each other — we listen to the worker, the farmer, rancher, the business owner, the doctor, the police officer and everybody else in Texas that is involved, we can make changes," she said. "So I'm stepping up. Estoy obligada. [I am obligated]. For Texas, for everyone's fair share to get ahead. I'm in.

"I'm a proud Texas Democrat and I believe in common-sense government. That's why I'm running for Texas governor. I've dedicated my life to defending Texas, and I'm not done yet."

Valdez, 70, announced her resignation as sheriff, effective Wednesday, in a letter to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins that was dated Nov. 28.

In her speech, Valdez spoke of her early life as the eighth child in a migrant worker family, saying she knows how it feels "to decide if food or rent will get the funds." She also touched on her experience as an army veteran, federal immigration agent and sheriff.

"I've lived a life of hard work and service," she said. "El que no sirve a la gente, no sirve para nada. [If you're not serving people, you're not worth anything.]"

Valdez was first elected sheriff in 2004 and is credited with starting the wave two years later that firmly cemented Democratic Party control of Dallas County.

She was re-elected in 2008, 2012 and 2016, becoming one of the most popular Democrats in North Texas.

"Lupe, Lupe" is a common refrain at events and rallies she attends. And she raised her profile in 2016 with a stirring speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Valdez is a trailblazer, one of only two female sheriffs in Texas. She's the only gay, female Hispanic sheriff in the state.

Lupe Valdez is hugged by well-wishers after her announcement that she will seek the Democratic nomination for Texas governor at a news conference in Austin. (Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer)

As her status in the Texas Democratic Party grew, she began to fancy herself a statewide candidate, considering runs for U.S. Senate in 2012 and 2014. This year, when most major Democrats eschewed a run against Abbott, Valdez was open to the challenge.

Valdez is in contrast with Abbott on many issues, particularly immigration. She is a critic of the sanctuary cities law pushed and signed by the governor. She would also give Democrats an inroad into Latino voters, whose support Abbott has made a top priority for his campaign after earning 44 percent of the Latino vote in his first gubernatorial campaign.

Abbott's campaign released a video mocking Valdez's candidacy as a last resort for Democrats, who had several well-known politicians pass on a gubernatorial run.

"It's been a merry-go-round for the Texas Democrat Party in their pursuit for a candidate for governor, and after a dizzying search, they have finally fielded a team of far-left liberals ready to battle in the primary," Wittman said in a statement.

"Regardless of who Texas Democrats ultimately nominate for governor, our campaign will be prepared to run on Governor Abbott's record and policies that have led to more jobs created in Texas in the past year than any other state, the best business climate in America and record low unemployment."

In 2015, Valdez and Abbott clashed over jail policies.

The jail would no longer hold immigrants who committed minor offenses for more than 48 hours after their release date if federal immigration officials hadn't already retrieved them, Valdez said. Abbott noted that he has the power to cut off federal criminal justice funds to cities and counties. He later cut off money to Travis County, though not to Dallas County.

In late July, when Abbott appeared at a Sheriffs' Association of Texas event in Grapevine and defended the sanctuary cities law, saying "it would remove from the streets dangerous criminals," Valdez derided it as picking on a vulnerable group. Unauthorized immigrants commit only 1.6 percent of crimes, she said.

The controversial law, which is under review by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, is expected to be a key issue in the gubernatorial campaign, as is the subject of immigration. In her speech, Valdez offered support for so-called Dreamers, immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children by their parents.

"If this isn't their country, they don't have a country," Valdez said.

Since being elected sheriff, Valdez has been praised for her part in easing overcrowding at the county jail and bringing it into compliance with federal guidelines.

But Valdez would be a heavy underdog against Abbott, who beat Democrat Wendy Davis by 20 percentage points in 2014. He reported a campaign fund balance of $41 million in July and faces no major GOP opponent in the March 6 primary.

"Congratulations to Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa on finally finding a candidate willing to enter the gubernatorial race," Texas Republican Party Chairman James Dickey said Wednesday in a written statement. "The illustrious candidate, Lupe Valdez, is his party's 12th choice after a number of other potential candidates all passed on the opportunity. It's clear even to Texas Democrats that there is no chance of Texas turning blue."

On the same day Valdez made her announcement, Abbott's campaign announced the endorsement of the Dallas Police Association.

Valdez addressed what might be a difficult path to victory Wednesday, saying Texas is not a red state, it's a nonvoting state.

"Abbott may have the money," she said. "We're going to have the people."

She also appeared to take a shot at Abbott.

"Good government is about finding solutions to real problems, not putting a spin on lies and creating fear," she said. "We're here to make people's lives better, not hurt them.

"Opportunity in Texas ought to be as big as this great state," she continued. "But for far too long, hard-working Texans have been left behind, kept out and frankly, attacked for who they are, where they come from and who they love. Texans and businesses are begging for a return of common sense, smart investments and just plain sanity."

Valdez, who is unknown outside Dallas County, would have the challenge of raising large sums of campaign money, introducing herself to voters across the state and, perhaps, winning a tough Democratic Party primary. Houston investor Andrew White, the son of former Gov. Mark White, is considering running for governor as a business-minded Democrat.

Candidates to replace Valdez as sheriff are already emerging. They include Chief Deputy Sheriff Marian Brown, who is third in command, Dallas County Constable Roy Williams Jr. and Dallas lawyer Pete Schulte.

The Dallas County Commissioners Court will select a temporary replacement, and Democrats and Republicans will hold primaries for the candidate that will ultimately serve the rest of Valdez's term, which expires at the end of 2020.

Political writer Gromer Jeffers Jr. reported from Dallas. Staff writer James Barragán reported from Austin.