Despite being a vocal advocate for tougher gun laws since her daughter was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting, Kimberly Mata-Rubio lost her bid for mayor in Uvalde, Texas. The special election saw former mayor Cody Smith elected with a nearly two-thirds majority. Mata-Rubio earned 33% of the votes.

The race tested the mood of the town, still reeling from one of America's deadliest mass shootings and a botched police response that is currently under investigation. The shooting took the lives of 19 children and two teachers.

Mata-Rubio campaigned on a platform of unifying the community and pushing for stricter gun laws. She has advocated for new restrictions and testified before Congress on the issue. She has also launched a nonprofit called "Lives Robbed" to push for stricter gun control.

Smith, on the other hand, focused his campaign on bringing the community together but did not address the failures of the police response to the shooting. He previously served two terms as mayor more than a decade ago and is currently an executive at a local bank.

The election results disappointed Mata-Rubio, but she remains determined to fight for accountability and transparency in honor of her daughter. Smith will finish out the term of the current mayor and the mayoral seat will be up for election again in November 2024.