The mayor of Uvalde, Texas, Cody Smith, abruptly resigned from office Monday, effective immediately.
Smith said in a statement he was resigning over medical concerns.
“I want to thank members of the Uvalde community for their thoughts and prayers during my ongoing recovery from unexpected medical issues I have experienced in recent weeks. After much consultation and prayer, I have decided to resign as Mayor of the City of Uvalde to focus on my health. It has been a great honor to serve the city and community I love, and I have great confidence that Mayor Pro-Tem Everardo Zamora will serve with honor until the next mayor is elected on November 5, 2024,” his statement read.
Smith’s resignation comes the day before a city council meeting that was previously postponed due to his health concerns.
Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith.
Uvalde Texas City Council
Smith was re-elected as Uvalde Mayor in November 2023, replacing former mayor Don McLaughlin who left his position to pursue election as a state representative. Smith had previously served two terms as Uvalde Mayor through 2012.
In the November election, Smith ran against Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter Lexi, was killed in the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary.
Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the massacre.
Earlier this month, Daniel Rodriguez, the police chief of Uvalde, Texas, resigned from his position in the wake of an independent investigation into the actions of Uvalde police officers who responded to the May 24, 2022 attack.
“I believe it is time for me to embrace a new chapter in my career,” Rodriguez said in a statement on March 12.
The investigation determined none of the initial five Uvalde police officers who responded to the shooting violated policy or committed serious acts of misconduct.
ABC News’ Hannah Prince contributed to this report.
