Biography
Montserrat Garibay is the Democratic candidate for Texas House District 49 in the November 3, 2026 general election, running against Green Party candidate Arshia Papari in a race with no incumbent.[1] A former bilingual pre-K teacher and labor leader, she says she is running to ensure every child learns in a fully funded school.[2]
Garibay graduated from Anderson High School and earned a bachelor's and a graduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, she said she came to the United States as a young girl, taught bilingual pre-K in Austin ISD for eight years, became vice president of Education Austin, and was the first Latina elected secretary-treasurer of the Texas AFL-CIO.[2] She also said she served as a deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education in the Biden-Harris administration.[2]
Garibay finished first in the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary and defeated Kathie Tovo in the May 26 runoff, 62.2% to 37.8%.[1] She said in the survey that she is also running for fair wages for workers and opportunity for families.[2]
- 1.Montserrat Garibay - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Montserrat Garibay - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Texas House District 49
Montserrat Garibay is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Texas House District 49 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.