2026 Texas Primary Runoff

Democrat

Republican

Kathie attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has a master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She also has a doctor of philosophy degree in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She attends St. John’s United Methodist Church.

Kathie Tovo attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has a master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She also has a doctor of philosophy degree in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She attends St. John’s United Methodist Church.

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Kathie previously served as adjunct faculty at The University of Texas at Austin. Previously, she also worked with Humanities Texas, the state partner of the National Endowment for Humanities and at University of Puerto Rico at Cayey.


Profile: Kathie Tovo for mayor

Former Council Member, adjunct faculty member running for Texas ...

Kathie previously ran for Mayor of Austin, Texas in 2024 but did not win. She is a former city council member.  

Supports property tax reforms to help renters and homeowners remain in their homes.

Supports small businesses and industries that provide good jobs.

Supports investing in food system planning and programs to address food insecurity.

Supports increasing affordable housing statewide.

Supports providing housing and services for homeless Texans.

As a city council member, Tovo "initiated action against Travis Central Appraisal District to help lower the tax burden on homeowners."

As a city council member, opposed a 12% utility rate increase, expanded utility assistance for low-income customers, and introduced a fair payment plan to prevent utility cutoffs.

- Supports property tax reforms to help renters and homeowners remain in their homes.
- Supports small businesses and industries that provide good jobs.
- Supports investing in food system planning and programs to address food insecurity.
- Supports increasing affordable housing statewide.
- Supports providing housing and services for homeless Texans.
- Supports tenant protections.
- As a city council member, Tovo "initiated action against Travis Central Appraisal District to help lower the tax burden on homeowners."
- As a city council member, opposed a 12% utility rate increase, expanded utility assistance for low-income customers, and introduced a fair payment plan to prevent utility cutoffs.

Economy

Public Safety

Supports proactive public health measures to ensure community safety, health, and connectivity.

- Supports expanding Medicaid.
- Supports proactive public health measures to ensure community safety, health, and connectivity.

Healthcare

Opposes private school vouchers, book bans, and other measures that threaten access to high-quality public education.

Supports "full funding of our public schools, including increasing the basic per-student allotment."

Supports a school accountability system that uses more than just standardized test scores.

Supports policies that help students achieve academic success.

- Opposes private school vouchers, book bans, and other measures that threaten access to high-quality public education.
- Supports "full funding of our public schools, including increasing the basic per-student allotment."
- Supports a school accountability system that uses more than just standardized test scores.
- Supports policies that help students achieve academic success.

Education

Supports preserving and expanding open and green spaces.

Supports enhancing the reliability of the Texas power grid.

Supports investing in multimodal transportation solutions.

Supports emergency preparedness through flood and fire warning systems and financial support for community resilience hubs.

Believes Texas should invest in community preparedness to save lives and reduce recovery costs.

Believes that Texas should invest in community preparedness to save lives and reduce recovery costs.

- Supports preserving and expanding open and green spaces.
- Supports enhancing the reliability of the Texas power grid.
- Supports investing in multimodal transportation solutions.
- Supports emergency preparedness through flood and fire warning systems and financial support for community resilience hubs.
- Believes that Texas should invest in community preparedness to save lives and reduce recovery costs.

Energy & the Environment

Plans to "challenge harmful laws that target...voting access..."

- Plans to "challenge harmful laws that target...voting access..."

Voting & Elections

Facebook

Twitter

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Kathie Tovo

Milan Parker

Buket Urgen

Montserrat Garibay immigrated to Texas from Mexico City. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in education from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Austin with her husband, Gilbert.

Montserrat is the Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for the Office of English Language Acquisition and Senior Advisor for Labor Relations at the U.S. Department of Education. She previously worked as secretary-treasurer of the Texas American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations, as vice president for certified employees with Education Austin, and as a bilingual pre-kindergarten teacher for eight years.

Montserrat Garibay

Montserrat is the acting assistant deputy secretary and director for the office of english language acquisition and senior advisor for labor relations at the U.S. Department of Education. She previously worked as secretary-treasurer of the Texas American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations, as vice president for certified employees with Education Austin, and as a bilingual pre-kindergarten teacher for eight years.

Montserrat Garibay's campaign for Texas State Representative, District 49, is her first entry into politics.

Montserrat Garibay - Center for Applied Linguistics

Texas AFT COPE Endorses Hinojosa for Governor, Garibay to ...

Texas Labor Organizer Montserrat Garibay Goes to Washington

HD49: Eight Democrats, One Seat, And A Very Progressive District

Montserrat's campaign for Texas State Representative, District 49, is her first entry into politics.

Supports raising the minimum wage and eliminating the subminimum wage for youth and tipped workers.

Supports passing paid medical, sick, parental, family care, and bereavement leave.

Supports expanding job training, upskilling, reskilling opportunities, and apprenticeship programs, especially in renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and semiconductor fabrication.

Supports expanding job training, upskilling, reskilling opportunities, and apprenticeship programs.

Supports preserving automatic payroll deductions, protecting the right to organize and join a union, and allowing public sector workers to collectively bargain.

Supports preserving automatic payroll deductions, protecting the right to organize and join a union.

Supports creating pathways to homeownership through downpayment assistance, low-interest loan programs, and tax credits.

Supports creating pathways to homeownership through downpayment assistance.

Supports strengthening eviction protections for renters, holding landlords accountable for neglecting repairs and health standards, and mandating functioning HVAC systems in all rental units.

Supports strengthening eviction protections for renters.

Supports making childcare more affordable while reducing waitlists and licensing barriers.

Supports expanding affordable, high-speed broadband by building a statewide fiber network to close racial, rural, and economic access gaps.

Supports expanding affordable, high-speed broadband.

Supports addressing economic and racial inequities in access to healthy food by reducing food deserts and supporting grocery stores, food co-ops, and urban agriculture in underserved communities.

Supports addressing economic and racial inequities in access to healthy foods.

Supports investing in public transit and expanding infrastructure like sidewalks and bike lanes.

Supports investing in public transit and expanding infrastructure.

Supports repairing aging pipes, funding water recapture and reuse technologies, and developing sustainable new water sources.

Supports funding water recapture and reuse technologies.

Supports strengthening the electric grid, investing in energy storage, and prioritizing renewable energy generation.

Supports strengthening the electric grid and prioritizing renewable energy.

- Supports raising the minimum wage and eliminating the subminimum wage for youth and tipped workers.
- Supports passing paid medical, sick, parental, family care, and bereavement leave.
- Supports expanding job training, upskilling, reskilling opportunities, and apprenticeship programs.
- Supports preserving automatic payroll deductions, protecting the right to organize and join a union.
- Supports creating pathways to homeownership through downpayment assistance.
- Supports strengthening eviction protections for renters.
- Supports making childcare more affordable while reducing waitlists and licensing barriers.
- Supports expanding affordable, high-speed broadband.
- Supports addressing economic and racial inequities in access to healthy foods.
- Supports investing in public transit and expanding infrastructure.
- Supports funding water recapture and reuse technologies.
- Supports strengthening the electric grid and prioritizing renewable energy.

Supports legalizing cannabis for adults aged 21 and over.

Opposes cash bail and pre-trial detention.

Supports increasing funding for diversion programs, expanding access to specialty programs for youthful offenders, drug users, and veterans, and improving re-entry programs to prevent homelessness and reoffending.

Supports increasing funding for diversion programs.

Supports ending local collaborations with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Supports providing air conditioning, essential medications, mental health care, menstrual and feminine hygiene products, and gender-affirming care for incarcerated people.

Supports gun control and said, "Require universal background checks and close loopholes for gun shows and private sales."

Supports repealing campus carry and open carry laws.

Supports gun control and wants to "pass red flag laws, strengthen extreme risk protective orders, and implement comprehensive policies that more effectively protect survivors of gun violence."

Supports increasing funding for community-based violence intervention, including street outreach, hospital-based, and group violence intervention programs.

Supports increasing funding for community-based violence intervention programs.

- Supports legalizing cannabis for adults aged 21 and over.
- Opposes cash bail and pre-trial detention.
- Supports increasing funding for diversion programs.
- Supports ending local collaborations with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- Supports providing air conditioning, essential medications, mental health care, menstrual and feminine hygiene products, and gender-affirming care for incarcerated people.
- Supports universal background checks.
- Supports repealing campus carry and open carry laws.
- Wants to pass red flag laws.
- Supports increasing funding for community-based violence intervention programs.

Supports expanding Medicaid and increasing reimbursement rates for healthcare services, particularly pediatrics, preventative care, and behavioral health.

Supports expanding Medicaid and increasing reimbursement rates.

Supports increasing home visitation and family support programs, especially for new parents.

Supports increasing home visitation and family support programs.

Supports affordable in vitro fertilization (IVF) and family planning, especially for low-income and underserved communities.

Supports affordable in vitro fertilization (IVF) and family planning.

Supports removing cost and access barriers to mental health care by guaranteeing affordable, community-based services for children and families and facilitating telehealth and mobile services for providers.

Supports removing cost and access barriers to mental health care.

Supports implementing statewide programs for early childhood screenings, vaccinations, and chronic disease prevention and management.

Supports implementing statewide programs for early childhood screenings, vaccinations, and chronic disease prevention.

- Supports expanding Medicaid and increasing reimbursement rates.
- Supports increasing home visitation and family support programs.
- Supports affordable in vitro fertilization (IVF) and family planning.
- Supports removing cost and access barriers to mental health care.
- Supports implementing statewide programs for early childhood screenings, vaccinations, and chronic disease prevention.
- Supports abortion access.

Supports increasing per-pupil funding and adjusting it based on the cost of living.

Supports universal full-day pre-kindergarten programs.

Supports increasing salaries for teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff so that one job is enough to make a living and improve pensions and healthcare for retired education professionals

Supports increasing salaries for teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff.

Opposes "book bans and politically-motivated censorship of textbooks or curriculum standards."

Opposes book bans and politically-motivated censorship.

Supports restoring tenure, academic freedom, free speech, and increasing research funding.

Supports expanding language access across all Texas state agencies.

- Supports increasing per-pupil funding and adjusting it based on the cost of living.
- Supports universal full-day pre-kindergarten programs.
- Supports increasing salaries for teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff.
- Opposes book bans and politically-motivated censorship.
- Supports restoring tenure, academic freedom, free speech, and increasing research funding.
- Supports expanding language access across all Texas state agencies.

As of April 3, 2026, Montserrat Garibay’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Supports eliminating barriers for young people, seniors, Texans of color, and new citizens to register and vote; ending voter purges; decriminalizing election participation; and reducing interference by partisan poll watchers.

Supports eliminating barriers for young people, seniors, Texans of color, and new citizens to register and vote.

Supports online voter registration, same-day voter registration, and automatic voter registration.

Supports extending voting hours on weeknights and weekends.

Supports increasing funding for voting systems, cybersecurity, and election worker pay.

- Supports eliminating barriers for young people, seniors, Texans of color, and new citizens to register and vote.
- Supports online voter registration, same-day voter registration, and automatic voter registration.
- Supports extending voting hours on weeknights and weekends.
- Supports increasing funding for voting systems, cybersecurity, and election worker pay.

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Texas House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Texas State Legislature
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. 
- There are 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, each representing a single district. Representatives must be at least 21 years old and reside in the state for at least two years before their election. 
- State representatives are elected to two-year terms during even-numbered years. There are no term limits. 
- State representatives make $7,200 annually in addition to a $221 payment per day during legislative sessions and mileage reimbursements.

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Texas House of Representatives.

Texas State Representative Runoff, District 49, Democratic Primary

Election results

Candidates (2)