Sam Slade

State Representative — District 49 · Democrat Primary 2026

Democrat

About ✓ Verified

Native Austinite, actor/comedian, and 20-year Democratic grassroots organizer. Radio personality (KLBJ-FM, ESPN Austin). Received a Texas House resolution from Rep. Hinojosa honoring his precinct chair work.

Key Positions ✓ Verified

Public education funding
Restrict new data center development
Water conservation
Lower utility bills
Reduce costs for gas, groceries, healthcare, housing
10 constituent calls per week
Monthly roundtable meetings

Strengths Sourced

Grassroots organizing experience
Former precinct chair leadership
Community-focused approach
Outside-the-system perspective

Concerns Sourced

Lower fundraising compared to top candidates
Limited name recognition
Less policy experience
May struggle against better-funded opponents

Endorsements ✓ Verified

Travis County Democratic Party (political organization)

Polling ✓ Verified

No public polling data available for HD-49 primary.

Fundraising ✓ Verified

Lower-tier in 8-candidate field

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