Frank Pomeroy, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs — the site of a horrific 2017 mass shooting — has filed to run for the Texas Senate as a Republican.
Pomeroy, 53, announced his decision Sunday, saying he’ll pursue the District 21 seat held by Democrat Judith Zaffirini since 1987.
“I feel as though, win, lose, or draw, at least I can say I did my part to the best of my ability to bring civility, godliness and hopefully intelligent discourse to the political arena,” Pomeroy said, according to a Texas Tribune report.
Pomeroy became a familiar figure to South Texans after the massacre at his church, frequently speaking to the news media about the healing necessary in his community. However, the pastor will be running in a solidly Democratic district. Zaffirini faced no competitor during the 2016 election cycle.
Pomeroy wasn’t present during the November 2017 shooting at his church, in which a gunman slaughtered 26 people and injured 20. Pomeroy’s 14-year-old daughter was among the dead.
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This article appears in Aug 14-27, 2019.
