Mother of Uvalde victim loses mayoral election

Uvalde, Texas — Kimberly Mata-Rubio, the mum of Uvalde victim Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio, misplaced a unique election to turn into mayor in Uvalde, Texas.

Cody Smith was once elected as the following mayor of Uvalde, serving a one-year time period within the town that has a inhabitants of a bit of greater than 15,000. Smith is filling the previous mayoral seat of Don McLaughlin, who vacated his place to run for a seat within the Texas House of Representatives. McLaughlin served as mayor since 2014.

Throughout her marketing campaign, Mata-Rubio stated her resolution to run for mayor was once “to be the change I seek,” to honor her daughter who was once one of the 21 sufferers within the Robb Elementary faculty capturing closing yr and constitute unheard voices in her group, amongst different projects.

“I’m very honored to be elected mayor and I look forward to serving this entire community,” stated Smith. “I would like to form a committee to start working with the families, city and the school to build a memorial to honor the 21 victims.”

As the reliable end result was once known as, Mata-Rubio and Smith had been each provide out of doors the workplaces of the Uvalde Leader-News, a practice for town to assemble because the newspaper tabulates the effects on a whiteboard close to the downtown plaza. Mata-Rubio and Smith embraced in a hug, as she and her circle of relatives congratulated Smith on his newly-elected place.

Mata-Rubio wore a blouse in tribute to her daughter with the phrases, “I’m not a regular mom, I’m Lexi’s mom.”

“I’m disappointed, of course, but I’m never going to stop fighting for Lexi,” Mata-Rubio instructed ABC News. “I’ll be working with Cody as Lexi’s mom and a citizen of Uvalde to demand accountability in the city.”

Smith is a senior vp on the First State Bank of Uvalde and in the past held the mayoral post from 2008 to 2012. Smith was once elected to the town council in 1995, serving 3 consecutive, four-year phrases.

The poll integrated 3 applicants for mayor, together with Smith, Mata-Rubio and Veronica Martinez, an basic faculty artwork instructor.

Mata-Rubio instructed ABC News that her run for mayor would possibly have come as a marvel to a couple group contributors, however stated her passion in town govt sparked when she reported for the native newspaper, Uvalde Leader-News. She recently works in advert gross sales for the newspaper.

Mata-Rubio has turn into an outspoken recommend in opposition to gun violence, supporting new regulation to reform gun rules, attesting sooner than Congress and assembly with legislators on the state and federal degree. She is the president of Lives Robbed, a nonprofit based through more than one households of the Uvalde basic sufferers who’re advocating to scale back gun violence thru regulation.

If elected, Mata-Rubio would were the primary lady and 3rd Hispanic to turn into Uvalde’s mayor.

“I hope this community can come together and honor the victims the way they deserve,” stated Mata-Rubio.

In 2024, there can be any other mayoral election for a four-year time period.