Austin Democrat Kathie Tovo says she is running to represent District 49 in the Texas House of Representatives. Democratic State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who's represented the district since 2017, recently announced she's entering the race for Texas governor.
Tovo, who made her announcement on Monday, spent nearly 12 years on Austin's city council, first as an at-large member representing the whole city from 2011 to 2014, then as the District 9 representative for eight years.
She was mayor pro tem between 2015 to 2018, taking on the duties of the mayor when the mayor was absent.
"I stood up to powerful interests on the Austin City Council, and I’m ready to stand up for District 49," Tovo said in her campaign announcement. "Throughout my public service, I’ve demonstrated my ability to be thoughtful and prepared while ensuring fairness during the legislative process. I’ll bring my critical eye and my dedication to thorough examination to the State House. I’m tough, I’m tested, and I’m ready to get to work."
District 49 spans areas of Austin and Travis County, including UT Austin's campus. Tovo, a former lecturer at the university, said she plans to challenge Republicans on topics including public education, free speech and book bans.
"The government of Texas is destroying our state’s quality of life by attacking our constitutionally protected public schools, banning books and applying political purity tests to professors and teachers, and attacking the personal rights of all Texans who don’t agree with the Republican Party," she said.
The official filing period for the March 2026 primary election begins on Nov. 8.
Correction: A previous version of this story said Hinojosa vacated her Texas House seat to run for governor. She is still a state representative.
