Montserrat Garibay announces run for Texas House District 49
September 5, 2026
- What: Montserrat Garibay is running for the District 49 seat in the Texas House of Representatives in the November 3, 2026 midterm election.
- Who: Garibay is a University of Texas alum and former bilingual early-childhood teacher who served eight years in Austin ISD and later became vice president of Education Austin.
- Where: District 49 covers downtown Austin, the University of Texas Main Campus, and West Campus.
- Why it matters: Garibay says she will prioritize representation for students and the Latino community on issues including public transportation and health care.
Montserrat Garibay has entered the race for the Texas House seat representing District 49, which includes downtown Austin, the University of Texas Main Campus, and West Campus. The election for the seat will take place on November 3, 2026 as part of the statewide midterm elections.
Garibay framed her candidacy around representation for Latinos and students in the district. She said she wants to make government more accessible to residents who do not receive information in their first language and to bring their experiences into policy discussions.
Her background centers on education and community work. Garibay arrived in the United States undocumented 34 years ago with her mother and sister, and she learned English after first coming to the country. She completed core coursework at Austin Community College, then earned both a bachelor s degree and a master s degree from the University of Texas.
Garibay worked as a bilingual early-childhood teacher in Austin Independent School District for eight years. She later moved into union leadership and was promoted to vice president of Education Austin. She said those roles shaped her understanding of local priorities and prepared her for legislative work.
On policy, Garibay highlighted long-standing concerns in District 49 such as public transportation and the health care system. She stressed that those issues are particularly important to Latino residents who have faced gaps in representation and access to information.
Garibay pointed to Gina Hinojosa as an inspiration. Hinojosa served on the Austin ISD School Board before representing District 49 for nine years, and she is now running for Texas governor. Garibay said she hopes to follow Hinojosa s example in serving the community.
Garibay said she wants voters to know she is part of the community she seeks to represent and to involve residents in civic processes. This story was first published September 3, 2026 by Mia Valeria Sifuentes and translated into English by Valery Martinez Rodriguez.
Sources
- Daily Texan article
- Candidate interview