SAN ANTONIO — After helping lead his community through the aftermath of a school shooting that put the spotlight of an ongoing gun control debate on South Texas, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin is throwing his hat in the ring for state office.
McLaughlin announced his plans to run for Texas House District 80 in a July 14 press release, having served as mayor of the small San Antonio-area community of Uvalde since 2014. Uvalde City Council on Tuesday night approved a resolution to schedule a special election on Nov. 7, at which point someone will be selected to serve the final year of McLaughlin's term.
"Entering this was race was a no-brainer for me," McLaughlin said in the release, adding that there's a "crisis" in Austin.
"Property tax relief, school choice, foreign land ownership, border control—these are all issues that should have been deal with sessions ago," he went on to say. "I am entering this race to be a strong voice for the people of District 80."
About 190,000 residents live in the district, which covers Atascosa, Dimmit, Frio, Uvalde and Zavala counties, as well as about a third of Webb County. Tracy King, the Democrat and Uvalde native who has held the seat since 2005, reportedly announced earlier this month his intention to retire.
McLaughlin is touting himself as a "strong conservative Republican" who emphasizes the importance of a large law enforcement presence and partnership network between agencies.
McLaughlin emerged as a central figure in the aftermath of the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, when 19 students and two teachers were gunned down. He was resilient when receiving criticism from victim's families in the weeks following the shooting amid calls for accountability and transparency. His subsequent efforts to conduct an internal investigation into the botched law enforcement response have been stymied by the Uvalde District Attorney's office.
McLaughlin says he's a lifelong resident of Uvalde, calling himself "a successful businessman" who is "very active in his church and community."
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