{{short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Travis LaRue | image = | order = 46th | office = Mayor of Austin | term_start = 1969 | term_end = 1971 | predecessor = [[Harry Akin]] | successor = [[Roy Butler (American politician)|Roy Butler]] | birth_date = January 6, 1913 | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|2009|11|14|1913|1|6}} | death_place = | alma_mater = | profession = [[Politician]] | spouse = | party = | allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | branch = {{army|United States}} | battles = [[World War II]] }}
'''Travis Leldon LaRue''' (January 6, 1913 – November 14, 2009) was an American politician who served as the [[Mayor of Austin|Mayor]] of [[Austin, Texas]], from 1969 until 1971. LaRue was the last Mayor of Austin to be elected by [[Austin City Council]] rather than a [[direct election]] by city voters.<ref name=news8austin>{{cite news |title=41st mayor of Austin dies at age 96 |url=http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=258845 |work=[[News 8 Austin]] |date=2009-11-16 |access-date=2009-12-18}}</ref>
LaRue was elected Mayor by the Austin City Council in 1969, becoming the last mayor to be chosen by the [[city council]].<ref name=news8austin/> In 1971, LaRue ran for a second term in Austin's first direct mayoral election. However, LaRue was soundly defeated by challenger Roy Butler in a [[landslide election]]. Butler received 65% of the voter, while incumbent Mayor LaRue garnered just 15%.<ref name=cityofaustin>{{cite news |title=Office of the City Clerk - Election History April 3, 1971 |url=http://malford.ci.austin.tx.us/election/byrecord.cfm?eid=30|work=Austin Office of the City Clerk |access-date=2009-12-20}}</ref>
LaRue died on November 14, 2009, at the age of 96.<ref name=news8austin/> A private memorial service was held at the Weed-Corley-Fish funeral home in Austin.<ref name=news8austin/> In a statement, current mayor of Austin [[Lee Leffingwell]] expressed condolences on LaRue's death, "Mayor LaRue served during a period when the City Council chose one of their own to serve as mayor. As a [[public servant]], Mayor Larue dedicated much of his time and energy to ensuring the welfare of our community. Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Mayor Travis Larue."<ref name=news8austin/>
LaRue died just one day after the death of his [[wikt:successor|successor]] as Mayor of Austin, Roy Butler.<ref name=aas>{{cite news |first=Sarah |last=Coppola |title=Former Austin mayor Roy Butler dies |url=http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/cityhall/entries/2009/11/13/roy_butler.html |work=[[Austin American-Statesman]] |date=2009-11-13 |access-date=2009-12-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607194356/http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/cityhall/entries/2009/11/13/roy_butler.html |archive-date=2011-06-07 }}</ref> Butler died of complications from a fall on November 13, 2009, at the age of 83.<ref name=aas/>
==References== {{reflist}}{{Mayors of Austin}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Larue, Travis}} [[Category:1913 births]] [[Category:2009 deaths]] [[Category:Mayors of Austin, Texas]] [[Category:Austin City Council members]] [[Category:20th-century mayors of places in Texas]] {{Texas-mayor-stub}}