LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kimberly Mata-Rubio, the mother of Alexandria "Lexi" Rubio, a victim of the Robb Elementary School shooting last year, declared her candidacy for mayor of the city on Thursday. Her daughter was one of the 19 fourth graders and two teachers who died on May 24, 2022, in the second-deadliest school shooting in American history at Robb Elementary School.
Don McLaughlin, the mayor of Uvalde since 2014, is stepping down to compete for a Texas House seat, and Mata-Rubio is running to fill his shoes, according to The Texas Tribune.
McLaughlin, who was most recently reelected to a four-year term in 2020
The rest of McLaughlin's tenure will be decided in a special election on November 7, the city said on Wednesday. Until a replacement is chosen, McLaughlin, who was most recently reelected to a four-year term in 2020, will hold the position, the Uvalde municipal secretary Soraya Sanchez informed CNN.
In a special election set for November 7, Mata-Rubio enters a field that only has one other contender at the moment. Mata-Rubio said, "My other children are going to grow up in this community and I want it to be the best it can be for them," as reported by ABC7.
'There are things I love about Uvalde - so much history and a rich culture'
She added, "There is so much potential. There are things I love about Uvalde -- so much history and a rich culture -- and I don't want this town to stay where it is and just be remembered for this tragedy. I want to move forward but I want to bring along our children and those two teachers."
Mata-Rubio is employed at the Uvalde Leader-News, a local newspaper. When the shooting at Robb Elementary School occurred, she was at work. Police controversially decided to wait more than an hour to launch a counter-assault against the shooter who was holed up in two classrooms before killing him. Sixty miles north of the Mexican border and 80 miles west of San Antonio, there are 15,000 people living in the city of Uvalde.
According to Mata-Rubio, some Uvaldeans may be surprised by her candidacy, but she said it shouldn't be so as she developed a keen interest in local politics while working as a reporter.
She presently holds the position of president of Lives Robbed, a nonprofit group established by the parents of the Robb Elementary School victims to combat gun violence by enacting legislative changes. In the wake of the shooting, Mata-Rubio has been vocal about her dissatisfaction with the local authorities.
'We are a fractured community, that is not the town I know'
Mata-Rubio said, "There is a need to bridge the gap right now. We are a fractured community, That is not the town I know. That is not the town I grew up in. So, I also want to come together because only when we come together is when we are going to be able to evolve."