Who Don is
As mayor of Uvalde, he was the public face of the city during the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting, and two years later he was elected to the same state legislature whose gun and school-safety laws he's now trying to change.
About Don
McLaughlin co-founded a piping-services company with his father and served about a decade as mayor of Uvalde before winning this House seat in 2024, becoming the first Republican ever to hold it. As mayor he led Uvalde through the aftermath of the Robb Elementary shooting that killed 21 people, and as a state representative he has pushed a bill requiring police departments statewide to have mass-shooting response plans, while opposing raising the age to buy a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21. He also co-authored the 2025 private-school voucher bill, though he says he won't support anything that 'guts' his district's public schools.
Where they stand
- Reproductive RightsUnknown
- Immigration & BorderAgree
- Housing & AffordabilityUnknown
- Public EducationDisagree
- Election IntegrityDisagree
- HealthcareUnknown
- Social Security & MedicareUnknown
- Gun PolicyAgree
- Climate & EnergyUnknown
Also on the ballot for TX State House • District 80
Every candidate on this ballot line appears here, in alphabetical order. Tap a name to read more.
Cecilia CastellanoShe runs a construction company in Atascosa County and is now facing criminal charges for allegedly paying people to harvest votes in the same district she's campaigning to represent.
About Cecilia
Castellano is a third-generation South Texan and president of AZTECA Designs & Construction who ran for this same House seat in 2024 and lost to Don McLaughlin. She was indicted in 2025 on vote-harvesting charges tied to a Frio County investigation, and those charges are still active as she runs again in 2026. Her platform centers on public schools, teacher pay, and expanding Medicaid to help rural hospitals stay open.