Mark McBrayer

Mark McBrayer is the Mayor of Lubbock in Texas. He assumed office on June 25, 2024. His current term ends in 2026.

McBrayer ran for election for Mayor of Lubbock in Texas. He won in the general runoff election on June 15, 2024.

McBrayer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Mayoral elections in Lubbock are nonpartisan. McBrayer is a Republican.^[1]^[2]

Biography

Mark McBrayer was born in Abilene, Texas. McBrayer earned a high school diploma from Monterey High School, a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University in 1975, a graduate degree from the Denver Seminary in 1980, and a law degree from the Texas Tech School of Law in 2002. His career experience includes working as an attorney. ^[3]

Elections

2024

General runoff election

General runoff election for Mayor of Lubbock

Mark McBrayer defeated Steve Massengale in the general runoff election for Mayor of Lubbock on June 15, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Mark McBrayer (Nonpartisan)	72.2	11,891
	Steve Massengale (Nonpartisan)	27.8	4,587

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,478
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Mayor of Lubbock

The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Lubbock on May 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark McBrayer (Nonpartisan)	37.4	11,552
✔		Steve Massengale (Nonpartisan)	28.3	8,739
		Adam Hernandez (Nonpartisan)	20.4	6,315
		Stephen Sanders (Nonpartisan)	7.1	2,200
	Submit photo	Antonio Renteria (Nonpartisan)	5.9	1,810
	Submit photo	Kolton Bacon (Nonpartisan)	1.0	312

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 30,928
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for McBrayer in this election.

2022

General election

General election for Lubbock City Council District 3

Mark McBrayer won election in the general election for Lubbock City Council District 3 on May 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark McBrayer (Nonpartisan)	100.0	2,034

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,034
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

General election

General election for Texas 99th District Court

Phillip Hays won election in the general election for Texas 99th District Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Phillip Hays (R)	100.0	90,668

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 90,668
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Texas 99th District Court

Phillip Hays defeated Kara Darnell in the Republican primary runoff for Texas 99th District Court on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Phillip Hays	58.9	7,543
	Submit photo	Kara Darnell	41.1	5,262

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,805 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas 99th District Court

Kara Darnell and Phillip Hays advanced to a runoff. They defeated Mark McBrayer and John Grace in the Republican primary for Texas 99th District Court on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kara Darnell	42.3	11,837
✔	Submit photo	Phillip Hays	30.5	8,523
		Mark McBrayer	18.3	5,118
	Submit photo	John Grace	8.9	2,478

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,956
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Mark McBrayer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McBrayer's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Lubbock is my family's home. I care deeply about it and everyone who calls it home. I have served the past two years representing my central Lubbock district on the City Council.

Growing up in Lubbock, I had godly parents who taught me the importance of strong faith and strong families. My parents formed my belief that all life is sacred and that everyone should be treated fairly and with respect. They taught me the virtues of small government and personal responsibility. I am a lifelong social and fiscal conservative.

My wife of 41 years, Cindy, and I have two children and two grandchildren, who all live in Lubbock. I have been a youth minister and an owner of two businesses, and am planning to retire this year from 22 years as an attorney so I can give my full-time efforts to serving as Lubbock's Mayor.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Public safety and reducing crime is my number one priority. Drug and gang related crime is making us all feel less safe in our homes and neighborhoods. Our next police chief must have a clear plan for reducing violent crime. Our police and fire rescue personnel must have the pay and support they need to keep our ranks filled.
Keeping property taxes low. These past years of inflation and stagnant wages have been hard on household budgets. The City Council was not responsible this year when it raised taxes on our homeowners. I was the only council member who voted against raising taxes and I will stay committed to that as Mayor. Low property taxes helps existing businesses to succeed and draws new businesses to Lubbock.
Protecting our neighborhoods. This is where we live and raise our families. I have not and will not vote for zoning changes that disrupt our neighborhoods and drive down home values. I will work to improve the quality of our parks and our animal services' resources for controlling dangerous dogs.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Good fiscal discipline and protecting our neighborhoods. from crime and bad zoning decisions and disruptive delvelopment.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father, who was a Marine who fought at Iwo Jima, and then came home to start a family and a successful business. He had absolute integrity, a quiet demeanor, and always told me to look out for the little guy, because the big guys can take care of themselves.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The writings of Edmund Burke and Friedrich Hayek.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, transparency, accountability and respect for citizens. If our vote for our elected officials is to be meaningful, those officials need to be open about where they stand on important issues. Saying one thing and then doing another erodes faith and trust in our elected officials. If an elected official changes his position, he should respect voters enough to explain what has convinced him to do so. Elected officials must remember they represent the citizens and not the government bureaucracy, and must speak respectfully to all citizens.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I know that I represent the citizens and taxpayers and not City Hall. I'm not afraid to speak up for what is right, but I try to build a consensus if possible where there is disagreement, without abandoning my basic principles.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Building consensus among the City Council on important issues such as public safety and fiscal discipline. Working with city management and staff to present a fiscally responsible budget. Making sure that the environment at City Hall is respectful of all citizens and responsive to their needs. Representing the City to the public.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A restored faith and trust in city government.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Alan Shepard being launched into space in 1961.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Like most guys my age, I started out by mowing other people's yards in order to save up enough to buy my first car, a 1966 GTO. After college, my first job was as a youth minister, which I did until I got married when I was 30. and decided to go into business owning a bookstore and a coffee shop for 17 years, when I went to law school at the age of 47 and became an attorney.

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

A mayor should use his or her influence to bring about a consensus on the city council around priority issues such as taxes and public safety. A mayor should work with all non-governmental interests in the community, such as businesses, churches, neighborhood groups, non-profit agencies, in order to understand what is most important to them and where the city government needs to be more responsive. A mayor should be a good representative of the city to businesses that are considering moving there. And, a mayor needs to be able to work effectively with other levels of government to promote the interests of the city and its citizens.

If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there's a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor's top priority in office?

Working with the manager to achieve a fiscally conservative budget, to plan for future needs, and to make sure the city's staff are responsive to and respectful of citizens.

If the mayor in your city is not a member of the city council and oversees the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor and city council?

Not applicable

What do you love most about your city?

I love the friendliness of its people and their diversity, which adds such a distinct character to it but without divisiveness. Although it is growing steadily, it still has a small town feel and is grounded in conservative values.

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Reducing the crime rate and providing an additional source for our water needs with our Lake #7 project.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the state government?

It should be collaborative and not combative. Lubbock's citizens are basically conservative and align with our state government, and it is represented well by its state representatives, so that should be a good relationship and one that I would work to improve.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the federal government?

Unfortunately, the federal government's relationship to cities has become one big transfer of tax money that comes with lots of strings attached. The City's fiscal condition should be strong enough that it does not need to be beholden to the federal government for that source of funding and is careful to accept it only if it does not require the City to adopt policies that are not aligned with its citizens, their values and their priorities.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor's office and law enforcement?

Law enforcement needs to be confident that the mayor is committed to making sure they have the right leadership and to keeping them paid, trained and equipped well because of the duties and risks officers take to protect our citizens. In return, the mayor needs to be confident that law enforcement will exhibit the highest level of character among its officers and professionalism in their interactions with the public.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

My campaign is supported by a wide variety of citizens who represent conservative values, but also other groups and individuals that may not align with me politically but who know I will deal respectfully with them and listen to them.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Taxes are not voluntary; they are imposed on our citizens and come out of their pockets and take away resources they could use for their own family's good. We have an absolute duty to be transparent with and accountable hem about how we are using that money so that they can decide whether or not we are representing their best interests. should be representing them.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Mark McBrayer did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Mark McBrayer did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

External links

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Candidate

Mayor of Lubbock

Personal

Footnotes

↑ KCBD, "Mark McBrayer announces campaign for 99th District Court Judge," December 18, 2019
↑ Southeast Politics, "Republican Mayors Association applauds 'red wave' in races largely featuring only Republicans," May 6, 2024
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 21, 2024

Political offices
Preceded by Tray Payne	Mayor of Lubbock 2024-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Jeff Griffith	Lubbock City Council District 3 2022-2024	Succeeded by -

[1] KCBD, "Mark McBrayer announces campaign for 99th District Court Judge," December 18, 2019

[2] Southeast Politics, "Republican Mayors Association applauds 'red wave' in races largely featuring only Republicans," May 6, 2024

[3] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 21, 2024

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Mark McBrayer

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General runoff election

General runoff election for Mayor of Lubbock

General election

General election for Mayor of Lubbock

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Lubbock City Council District 3

2020

General election

General election for Texas 99th District Court

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Texas 99th District Court

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas 99th District Court

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

2020

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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