Lupe Valdez: Increase minimum wage, open to tax increase

Former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, campaigning to best eight other Democrats for the chance to challenge incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the fall, called Thursday to raise the minimum wage to between $12 and $15 an hour and said she would be open to a tax hike to generate more state revenue.Joining other Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Valdez also said she supports abolishing the death penalty in Texas, which has long led the nation in executions.