Frank Leffingwell, Round Rock City Council member, announced Wednesday he would be running for the Williamson County judge seat in November 2018 after three-term Judge Dan Gattis announced he would not be seeking re-election in 2018.

Leffingwell has been serving on Round Rock City Council since February 2015, when he was elected in a special election to fill a vacant Place 3 position. The Place 3 council member seat term expires in May 2018. The election for Williamson County judge will take place in November 2018.

Leffingwell is a native of Round Rock, where he has run a law practice since 2008. He is the son of former Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell. He graduated from Southwestern University in 1989 and from St. Mary's University School of Law in 1993.

Leffingwell, a Republican, said he is running to prepare for future growth in the county and plan for infrastructure needs.

"We need to have a conservative approach to government that enables us to better control property appraisals and taxes," he said in a statement. "For a businessperson, these challenges are well-understood realities. If we are going to provide a place for families to live and businesses to grow, the government will need to operate within a reasonable budget."