Texas: Uvalde School Shooting Victim's Mother, Kimberly Mata-Rubio, Is Running for Mayor

Kimberly Mata-Rubio, who lost her daughter, Lexi, in the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, is seeking change, so she is running for mayor herself after such a tragedy.

She recently organized a charity run in honor of her daughter but is running an even tougher race to be the next mayor of Uvalde, which is still deeply divided after one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.

"One thing I hear with all of my children, and it echoes my own belief, is that right now Lexi's legacy is our priority and we just want to honor her with action," the grieving mother-turned-Uvalde mayoral candidate told the Associated Press.

She will have to convince her small town of 15,000 to change to a new direction. Should she win, she would not just be the first new mayor for Uvalde since last year's horrific school shooting but also be the town's first female mayor.

During the Uvalde school shooting, 19 students and two teachers were killed by former Robb Elementary School student Salvador Ramos. The town has still not recovered from the tragedy, but she seeks to heal the town as her campaign slogan is "Moving Forward, Together."

As she runs, she promises residents of the town, who are mostly Hispanic, that they will have a seat at the table regardless of their background. She is even trying to reach out to those opposing her.

"Her candidacy may have a little bit more movement because she knows the people in that town and she understands the hurt that this event caused," University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus told the AP.

Uvalde Mother Faces High Voter Apathy in Her Run

After the tragedy at Robb Elementary School, the people in Uvalde still struggle to move forward, and many feel that the election would not change much in the town.

Despite gun violence rocking its community, a majority of those who voted in Uvalde voted for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who bumbled his response to the school shooting. Voters chose him over Democrat Beto O'Rourke, who wanted stricter gun laws, according to KUAC.

This is made worse as only 45% of those eligible to vote actually made their voices heard in Uvalde, thus giving Abbott the win. However, Mata-Rubio seeks to change that.

"My community is also suffering," she said. "We lost our sense of security. We lost 21 residents of Uvalde. And I want to be part of the change that my community sees."

Uvalde Mother Wants To Honor Daughter in her Mayoral Run

Kimberly Mata-Rubio is running against an art teacher and a former mayor to become the next mayor, though many are rooting for her as she is not just seeking changes but also to honor her daughter, Lexi.

"I will honor your life with action. This is only the beginning," she wrote in her candidacy announcement on X (formerly Twitter) last May. "I want to represent the underserved in this community, whose voices matter but have long been unheard. I want residents to see themselves in me and feel at ease sharing their grievances."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Uvalde school shooting victim's mom running for mayor - KSAT 12