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Former Uvalde mayor Don Mclaughlin Jr. declares victory in the race for House District 80

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin answers questions regarding the Robb Elementary shooting at the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center in Uvlade, Texas, on Sunday, July 17, 2022.
Aaron E. Martinez
/
Reuters
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin answers questions about the Robb Elementary shooting in July 2022.

The Texas House District 80 seat has flipped red after decades being blue. Republican candidate Don Mclaughlin Jr. declared victory over Democratic opponent Cecilia Castellano on Tuesday.

“I’m very humbled by the numbers that we got,” Mclaughlin said. “We’ve been getting congratulating calls from [Gov. Greg Abbott], from the speaker of the house. So I feel like we’re at a point that the numbers are in our favor.”

The race caught the eyes of the voters, especially after incumbent Democrat Tracy King announced he wouldn't run for reelection.

Texas House District 80 is a rural South Texas district, running through Pleasanton, Pearsall, Uvalde and parts of Laredo. The district is majority Latino and covers some border counties.

The Republican candidate was the former mayor of Uvalde. He won the Republican primary for House District 80 with a 58% total vote, beating out Clint Powell, mayor of Pleasanton, and J.R. Ramirez, a rancher from Laredo.

McLaughlin gained attention after serving as the Uvalde mayor in the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers.

He said he’s not looking at the seat as a Republican, Democrat, or independent. “I’m looking at a seat to represent the people of District 80. For too long we’ve been getting crumbs off the table,” he added.

He supports school vouchers and said he encourages parental involvement in schools. He said he will fight to expand opportunities for kids to get involved in vocational and trade schools and ensure all students have the chance to get not just a good education, but a good-paying job.

McLaughlin stepped down as mayor to run for the Texas House seat and campaigned on border security and strengthening law enforcement. He thanked former president Donald Trump and Abbott for their support.

The Democratic candidate Cecilia Castellano campaigned on advocacy for public education, affordable healthcare, and economic development. Castellano said she would “reject vouchers that undermine public education,” and fight to increase teacher pay.

Her home was one of the residences raided during Attorney General Ken Paxton’s string of home raids for suspicion of voter fraud. She later called for a federal investigation into the raids alongside the leadership of LULAC. The raid was a result of a “vote harvesting” investigation, though a federal judge ruled that Paxton did not have the authority to conduct a “vote harvesting” investigation.

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Gabriella Alcorta-Solorio is a reporter for Texas Public Radio. She recently graduated from Texas State University with a major in journalism, minoring in women’s studies. She has previously worked as a photojournalist with The Ranger and has reported on Alzheimer’s and dementia in South Texas using public health data. Her main focuses include reporting on health as well as military and veterans issues. Alcorta-Solorio is a U.S. Army veteran.