A Texas pastor who lost his daughter in a mass shooting at his church announced he will run against one of Texas’ most senior Democrat state senators. The pastor was out of town the day a gunman opened fire in his church, leaving his daughter and 25 others dead with 20 more injured.

First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs Pastor Frank Pomeroy announced he will run for the Texas Senate seat currently held by Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-San Antonio). Pomeroy lost a daughter and a large part of his congregation on a fateful Sunday in November 2017 when a lone gunman walked in and began shooting, Breitbart Texas reported. The shooter had a long criminal history, mental health commitments, and a court-martial from the U.S. Air Force that should have made him ineligible to legally purchase the weapon he used.

Law enforcement officials gather near the First Baptist Church following a shooting on November 5, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. (Photo by Erich Schlegel/Getty Images)

On Sunday, Pastor Pomeroy announced he is filing in the Republican Primary Election for State Senator, District 21, a seat held since 1987 by Senator Zaffirini.
“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 told the Texas Tribune. “I feel as though that morality and integrity is disappearing rapidly and I feel as though the direction Texas goes — if Texas falls, the country falls.”

While Pastor Pomeroy was not in the church on November 5, 2017, he became a familiar face as he led what was left of his small congregation and a torn community through a long period of mourning. One family lost eight members in the shooting, Breitbart Texas reported.

A local resident, Stephen Billefort, heard gunfire coming from the church that morning. Bellefort, a former NRA firearms instructor, grabbed his own AR-15 rifle and engaged the shooter, causing him to flee the scene.
Pomeroy faces an uphill climb for the heavily Democrat-favored seat. Zaffirini has handily dispatched Republican opponents in the past. She ran unopposed in 2016.

“This is totally out of my wheelhouse, but I’m totally trusting the Lord to show me how to do the things I need to do,” Pomeroy told the Texas Tribune.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.