Texas mayor accused of Islamophobia for opposing Sharia Law won't seek re-election

Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne, who was accused of committing "Islamophobia," won't be seeking a third term but says she is seeking greater opportunities. Van Duyne was also an early supporter of President Trump, and has met with him at Trump Tower, fueling speculation she might be in line for a position with the administration.

Van Duyne became a target for the left when she published a Facebook post in 2015 speaking out against an "Islamic Tribunal" being established in her city.

“As Mayor of the City of Irving," she wrote, "I took an oath to uphold the laws of the State of Texas and the Constitution of the United States. I respect the freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment and believe that protecting fundamental constitutional rights and ensuring that individual rights are not violated or denied is essential."

She was immediately criticized and accused of "Islamophobia" by Muslims, and the accusation was lobbed again at her when she backed school and law enforcement authorities in the "clock boy" controversy, also in Irving, Texas. Ahmed Muhamed, the boy at the center of the controversy, has since sued the school and the city for $15 million for the actions that Van Duyne defended.

Dana Loesch interviewed Mayor Van Duyne for the Blaze in 2015 about the outcry against her proposal.

Mayor Van Duyne had been on the City Council since 2004, and the mayor since 2011, serving two terms.