Kimberly Mata-Rubio, mother who lost 10-year-old daughter in Uvalde school shooting, wants to become city’s first female mayor

A mother whose 10-year-old daughter was killed in a Texas school shooting last year has announced she is running for mayor.

Alexandria Rubio was one of 19 students and two teachers murdered on May 24, 2022, in a classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Alexandria’s mother Kimberly Mata-Rubio has revealed she is running for mayor of the small town of Uvalde in the November 7 special election.

The 34-year-old mother of five says she wants to honor her daughter’s legacy and be “the change I seek.”

If she wins the mayoral race, she will be the first woman and third Hispanic mayor of the city who would have made her late daughter proud.

“She was a very confident girl. She was a leader and I try to really harness that power in her for myself and honor her with action,” said Mata-Rubio.

Alexandria Rubio (right) was one of 19 students and two teachers murdered on May 24, 2022 in a classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde

Don McLaughlin has been mayor of Uvalde since 2014, but announced that he will step down to run for a seat in the House of Representatives.

He was serving as mayor when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos committed the deadliest American school massacre since his city’s Sandy Hook. Ramos was eventually shot dead by police.

The entire school district police force was suspended for their failed response to the devastating elementary school massacre.

Mata-Rubio, who works as an advertising executive, said she had doubts about running, but these were dispelled by her husband Felix Rubio.

“I talked to my husband and he said to me, ‘You’re Lexi’s mom. You can do this.’ I had no doubts after that conversation,” she said The Washington Post.

“It was frustrating navigating our political system and I realized I had to be the change I was looking for.”

She became an advocate for stricter gun control laws after the mass school shooting that killed her daughter.

Mata-Rubio and her husband testified as part of a hearing where congressmen heard from a survivor of the shooting and the parents of the victims.

“We don’t want you to think of Lexi as a number,” she told Congress.

“She was intelligent, compassionate and athletic. She was quiet, shy, unless she had a point to make.

When she knew she was right, as she often does, she stood her ground. She was firm, direct, steady. So today we stand for Lexi, and as her voice, we demand action.”

“Somewhere out there, a mother hears our testimony and thinks to herself, ‘I can’t even imagine their pain,’ not knowing that one day our reality will be hers unless we act now,” she added.

She also joined other Uvalde families in Washington, D.C., for a rally and march to the Capitol.

“Right now, after fighting at the federal and state level, I think it’s starting from the ground up and in my own community,” Mata-Rubio said. GMA3.

Alexandria’s mother Kimberly Mata-Rubio (left) has revealed she is running for mayor of the small town of Uvalde in the November 7 special election.

The 34-year-old mother of five says she wants to honor her daughter Alexandria’s legacy and be ‘the change I seek’

“I think it gives me a chance to share my story with my community first and change their minds and hearts. If they really hear and address my story.’

She pleads for a reform of the Uvalde police. The officers were criticized for waiting more than an hour to launch a counterattack against gunman Ramos who was sitting in two adjacent classrooms.

“I think we need to look at the final report and decide whose failures will determine whether they get fired or whether they stay on the force. But also policy changes,’ said Mata-Rubio.

“What do we do with the agents we hire? What do we do to make sure they are trained for this kind of situation? So there are several things I’m looking at.’

Salvador Ramos, 18, (pictured) shot and killed 19 students and two teachers as police held off for more than an hour during the Uvalde massacre on May 24

She has insisted she wants to unite the community and engage those who don’t normally vote.

Every voice deserves to be heard. I think common ground is a desire to move forward and not be remembered for just this tragedy,” said Mata-Rubio.

A lack of communication has contributed to the false narrative that the families of the 21 (victims of the Robb Elementary shooting) don’t feel like moving on – we do.

“We just want to take our loved ones with us. We want to move forward while honoring their memory.”

Mata-Rubio aims to establish permanent, preserved memorials in the center of Uvalde on behalf of the victims of the school shooting and to ensure that ‘small town businesses flourish’.

She said: “I want to open lines of communication between the city and other entities to make sure we serve our residents the best we can.

“We shouldn’t just contact these entities when a problem arises. We should have regular contact, work together.’

Families of the 21 victims in Uvalde and Arnulfo Reyes, Alexandria’s fourth-grade teacher, who survived the shooting, have all contacted Mata-Rubio after she announced her candidacy.

“For me, the most important people I heard from were the families of the 21 and Mr. Reyes,” she said. “Having their support is important to me.”

She looked up to so many women in power. We had conversations about AOC (Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), about (Vice President) Kamala Harris. I think she’d be proud of me.’

Those seeking to run for mayor must file their papers in September, and former Uvalde mayor Cody L. Smith has also announced his candidacy.

The election race in November will run for a year and will be followed by a new mayoral election, the usual four-year term.