| Jim Darling | |
| 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: | 14 January 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Residence: | McAllen, Texas, U.S |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Alma Mater: | Baylor University (BA) Baylor Law School (JD)[1] |
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.[2]
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.
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.[3]
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.“[4]
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.”[5]