Gigs Hodges
Gigs Hodges (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 49. She lost in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.
Hodges completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Gigs Hodges earned a high school diploma from Artesia High School, an associate degree from Austin Community College in 2020, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. Her career experience includes working as a political activist.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on May 26, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary runoff
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 49
Montserrat Garibay (D) and Kathie Tovo (D) are running in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 49 on May 26, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Montserrat Garibay  | |
 | Kathie Tovo | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 49
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 49 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Montserrat Garibay | 32.9 | 13,332 |
| ✔ | | Kathie Tovo | 28.2 | 11,419 |
 | Josh Reyna | 8.9 | 3,584 | |
 | Robin Lerner | 7.6 | 3,076 | |
 | Gigs Hodges | 7.0 | 2,853 | |
 | Shenghao Wang | 6.8 | 2,756 | |
 | Kimmie Ellison | 6.0 | 2,415 | |
 | Sam Slade | 2.6 | 1,053 | |
| Total votes: 40,488 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary
The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Green Party convention
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Green convention for Texas House of Representatives District 49
Arshia Papari (G) ran in the Green Party convention for Texas House of Representatives District 49 on March 14, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Arshia Papari | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Hodges received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- State Rep. John Bryant (D)
- State Rep. Aicha Davis (D)
- State Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos (D)
- Lone Star Left
- Sunrise Movement ATX
- The First Ask
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Gigs Hodges completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hodges' responses.
| Collapse all
When I returned to Austin, I enrolled at Austin Community College to pursue education and help dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. I later transferred to the Urban Teachers program at the University of Texas at Austin, where my time in the classroom showed me that real change requires structural reform.
Through the Archer Fellowship Program, I worked on Capitol Hill, then returned home to serve in the Texas Legislature. Over the past three years, I served as Legislative Director for two freshman Democrats, helping pass thirteen bills into law and leading strategy, drafting legislation, and blocking harmful proposals.
But I also saw too much hesitation when Texans needed bold action. I did everything I could as a staffer. Now I am stepping up to lead.
I am not here to play politics. I am here to change the game. Our communities deserve courageous leadership, and I am ready to be it.- I am running to turn the House Democrats from a passive minority into a fighting resistance. As a former Legislative Director in the Texas House, I have seen firsthand the current strategy fail Texans again and again. I know some of the changes that need to be made internally so that we can become a more effective resistance. This is our chance to elect a representative who will disrupt the status quo and build a Texas that works for us all.
- Representatives come from all across the state to HD 49 to take away our rights and I believe that we should be the ones leading the resistance. By the numbers, HD 49 should be the most progressive seat in the Texas House. I am the most progressive candidate and I have the most relevant experience to this position. I am bringing a strong backbone and creative strategies to defend against GOP attacks and fight for a Texas that works for all.
- I know I will be an effective legislator because I was an effective staffer. I learned how to move policy, build coalitions, and fight strategically. Now I want to make sure the House Democratic Caucus does the same. I pushed for stronger coordination as a staffer, but real change has to come from elected officials. Texans deserve better than hesitation. It is time for a disciplined, unified fight. We cannot let a single opportunity slip by when Texans’ dignity and safety are on the line.
We must increase housing supply, protect renters, and ensure property tax relief benefits all Texans. Fully fund public schools, raise teacher pay, restructure recapture, and reject vouchers. Expand Medicaid, adjust reimbursement rates, and invest in mental health care access.
Working Texans deserve higher wages. Immigrants deserve due process and stability. We must advance climate justice by investing in clean energy and resilient communities.
We must increase housing supply, protect renters, and ensure property tax relief benefits families. Fully fund public schools, raise teacher pay, restructure recapture, and reject vouchers. Expand Medicaid and invest in mental health care.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 19, 2026
