McAllen City Commissioner Javier Villalobos has become the first to announce plans to succeed Mayor Jim Darling.
In making his announcement Wednesday, Villalobos said he wants to continue improving the city in a fiscally conservative manner. Villalobos, a former chairman of the Hidalgo County Republican Party, has been the District 1 commissioner since 2018.
He won a special election to fill the seat vacated by Richard Cortez to run for Hidalgo County judge. Mayor Darling made it known Monday he would not run for a third term.