UVALDE, Texas – A mother who lost her child in the Uvalde school shooting in 2022 announced that she is running for mayor in efforts to push gun legislation, KSAT News reports.
Kimberly Rubio lost her daughter, Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio, in the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24, 2022.
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Since the loss of her daughter, Rubio has been a gun violence prevention advocate. She even started a nonprofit called Lives Robbed, which is pushing for changes to gun legislation.
Rubio tweeted a photo of the Uvalde Leader News article about her announcement. She’s worked at the local paper since she was a teen in a variety of different roles.
On Twitter, Rubio wrote about her grief in mourning Lexi but vowed, “I will honor your life with action. This is only the beginning.”
The current mayor of Uvalde, Don McLaughlin, announced he will step down and run for a Texas House seat on July 26.
McLaughlin has served as mayor of the small South Texas city since 2014 and was reelected three times. He led the community through the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School, where a local teenager killed 19 students and two teachers.
Rubio’s competitor, so far, is banker and former mayor Cody Smith. He announced his bid for mayor to the Uvalde Leader-News. Smith attended the July 25 city council meeting at Uvalde City Hall, where he spoke briefly about his candidacy and asked for voter support, according to the report.
Following the election on Nov. 7, the new mayor will take office on the 24th day after the general election. The mayor’s term lasts four years.