Uvalde, TX – Republican candidate and former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr. is projected to win the Texas House District 80 race, flipping the seat red for the first time in over 20 years.
He ran against Democratic candidate Cecilia Castellano, who replaced incumbent Tracy King when she decided not to run for re-election.
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McLaughlin is known for serving as the Mayor of Uvalde during the tragedy of the Robb Elementary shooting, which claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers.
“This victory belongs to the people of South Texas,” said McLaughlin. “I am both humbled and honored to serve as your voice in Austin. I am committed to working tirelessly to make our communities safer, our economy stronger, and our future brighter. Thank you for trusting me to represent you and our community’s values.”
McLaughlin had resigned as Mayor of Uvalde in 2023 to run for the House seat, citing border control, property tax relief, school choice and land ownership by noncitizens as important issues he would be tackling, were he to win.
Texas House District 80 runs through Pleasanton and includes Uvalde, Pearsall and parts of Laredo.
As of this writing, AP has not officially called the race. At last count, McLaughlin is polling ahead with 63% of the vote, with 66% of precincts reporting results.
