{{Short description|American politician (born 1949)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}} {{Use American English|date=November 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jim Darling | image = | office = 20th Mayor of McAllen | term_start = January 6, 2013 | term_end = June 14, 2021 | predecessor = Richard Cortez | successor = Javier Villalobos | birth_name = Jim Darling | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|01|14}} | birth_place = Rochester, New York, U.S. | party = Democratic | profession = | spouse = | alma_mater = Baylor University <small>(BA)</small><br />Baylor Law School <small>(JD)</small><ref name="Reelection Campaign">{{cite news |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Roberto |title= "I Look at a Challenge as an Opportunity" - Jim Darling, McAllen Mayor|url=https://texasborderbusiness.com/look-challenge-opportunity-jim-darling-mcallen-mayor/ |access-date=24 August 2019 |publisher=Texas Border Business |date=Jan 5, 2015}}</ref> }}
'''Jim Darling''' (born January 14, 1949) is an American politician who served as the 20th mayor of McAllen, Texas from 2013 to 2021. He won re-election in May 2017.<ref name="Reelection">{{cite news |last1=Ferman |first1=Mitchell |title=Incumbent Mayor Jim Darling wins re-election |url=https://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/local_news/incumbent-mayor-jim-darling-wins-re-election/article_6921af50-32d7-11e7-ba44-8fb9881cd3cd.html |access-date=15 February 2019 |publisher=Valley Morning Star |date=May 5, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Education== Darling received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University and a J.D. from Baylor Law School and is a licensed litigator by the Texas Supreme Court and the Southern District of Texas Federal Court.
==Career== Darling spent 28 years as a city attorney with the city of McAllen and other governmental entities and served as City Commissioner for District 6 prior to being elected Mayor of McAllen.<ref>{{cite news |title=Honorable Jim Darling |url=https://tcaptx.com/staff/jim-darling |access-date=February 15, 2019 |issue=January 7, 2019 |publisher=TCAPTX |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120111302/https://tcaptx.com/staff/jim-darling |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Views on proposed border wall== In an interview with NPR after Donald Trump visited McAllen in January 2019, Darling said “The other thing that he said that we thought was important - it's not just a wall. It's border protection. It's more boots on the ground, more Border Patrol men, more technology, roads that they need, etc.“<ref name="NPR wall">{{cite news | date=January 12, 2019 | title=Wall Won't Dispel National Security Fears, McAllen Mayor Says After Trump Visit |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/01/12/684854930/wall-won-t-dispel-national-security-fears-mcallen-mayor-says-after-trump-visit |access-date=February 15, 2019 |publisher=NPR}}</ref>
While he believes the United States needs border protection, he feels “a wall doesn't make sense, especially when the Rio Grande acts as a natural border and where private property makes building a wall more complicated.”<ref name="Jill">{{cite news |last1=Arment |first1=Jill |title=McAllen Mayor Says A Wall Won't Solve The Realities Of Texas' Border Problems |url=http://www.kut.org/post/mcallen-mayor-says-wall-wont-solve-realities-texas-border-problems |access-date=February 15, 2019 |issue=January 7, 2019 |publisher=KUT News}}</ref>
==References== <references />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darling, Jim}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Baylor University alumni Category:Baylor Law School alumni Category:Mayors of places in Texas Category:Texas Democrats
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