Robin Jennifer Lerner

State Representative — District 49 · Democrat Primary 2026

Democrat

About ✓ Verified

Former U.S. diplomat and Obama administration official with 25 years of experience in government, law, and higher education. Running her first campaign for elected office. Currently President and CEO of the Texas International Education Consortium.

Key Positions ✓ Verified

Fully fund public schools
Oppose vouchers
Defend academic freedom
Climate resilience through universities
Solar farms
Urban shade solutions
Make Austin innovation hub
Defend reproductive healthcare access
Address housing affordability

Strengths Sourced

Foreign policy and diplomatic experience
Obama administration credentials
Ethics Review Commission service
International perspective

Concerns Sourced

Limited local political experience
Lower fundraising levels
May seem disconnected from local issues
Less community organizing background

Polling ✓ Verified

No public polling data available for individual HD-49 candidates.

Fundraising ✓ Verified

Sources (20)

Montserrat Garibay, Kathie Tovo lead fundraising in Texas House District 49 race – The Daily Texan (2026-02-24)
Texas House of Representatives District 49 with Endorsements (2026-02-24)
2026 Texas House of Representatives election - Wikipedia (2026-02-24)
Fundraising totals for candidates running for Austin-area Texas House seats - Axios Austin (2026-02-24)
Texas House of Representatives District 49 - Ballotpedia (2026-02-24)
2026 Primary Election Endorsements - (2026-02-24)
Endorsements | Texas Values ActionTexas Values Action (2026-02-24)
Texas 2026 election: Your March primary sample ballot | The Texas Tribune (2026-02-24)
United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary) - Ballotpedia (2026-02-24)
Texas House of Representatives elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia (2026-02-24)
Josh Reyna - Ballotpedia (2026-02-24)
2026 Ballot — Travis County Democratic Party (2026-02-24)
Q&A: Meet the Democratic candidates running for Texas House District 49 ahead of the March primary | Community Impact (2026-02-24)
HD 49 Candidate Forum - Austin - Events - Raise Your Hand Texas (2026-02-24)
HD49: Eight Democrats, One Seat, And A Very Progressive District (2026-02-24)
A Plan to Deliver for House District 49 | Josh Reyna for State Representative (2026-02-24)
Gigs Hodges - Ballotpedia (2026-02-24)
Kathie Tovo for Texas HD-49 | Official Campaign Site (2026-02-24)
Comments on Montserrat Garibay, Kathie Tovo lead fundraising in Texas House District 49 race (2026-02-24)
Former Austin City Council Member Kathie Tovo is running for Gina Hinojosa's Texas House seat (2026-02-24)

Data last verified: Mar 3, 2026 · 20 sources cited

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Data Confidence
✓ Verified backed by official sources (Ballotpedia, Vote Smart, .gov)
Sourced from web sources cited below
AI-inferred generated by AI from available information