As Texas House Democrats are trailed by personal Department of Public Safety escorts and treated like flight risks amid the state’s redistricting battle, one San Antonio state representative is finding a unique way to evade their ever-watchful eyes.
Democratic Rep. Josey Garcia has taken to the art of disguise to remain elusive to her would-be watchers.
“#KashMeOutsideHowBoutDat,” Garcia wrote in the caption of a selfie where she appears in a fake beard making her resemble another Garcia, first name Jerry.
Garcia sported more impressive facial hair Tuesday for day two of her costumed campaign, this time with a fro.
Garcia has said she’s not returning to the House chambers to participate in the Republicans’ redistricting scheme, undertaken to help the GOP to pick up five U.S. House seats ahead of the midterms. The noncompliance isn’t without its hazards though, she said.
“We are being stalked, hunted and terrorized,” Garcia said in her post. “Ive been called a “ Ghetto Ni**er” more times in the last week than I care to share.”
“I refuse to be treated like a criminal when I’ve done nothing but protect Texans and the Constitution,” Garcia said in the caption of her disco inferno look.
Last week, the state rep shared the online claim that plainclothes agents were intimidating her family and staking out her house while she was in Illinois breaking quorum.
Other representatives are reporting altercations with their personal DPS agents over perceived evasion.
“While on my morning walk in the Mueller neighborhood, my DPS escort, who was forced upon me to track my every movement, threatened to arrest me,” East Austin Democratic Rep. Sheryl Cole posted to Facebook. “He lost me on the trail, got angry about it, and made a scene in front of my constituents on the trail.”
“This is also why I stand with my colleague [state Rep.] Nicole Collier, who has refused to go along with this charade and is still on the House floor 24 hours later,” Cole added in her post.
Collier is currently locked in the Texas capitol for refusing to have a surveillance escort. She plans to remain in the chamber until it reconvenes Wednesday for a second hearing on the redistricting map.
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
Related Stories
Texas Democrat Nicole Collier still locked in the capitol for refusing surveillance escort
House Democrats unable to move freely after return to Texas capitol. So one Democrat refuses to move.
House Democrats return to Texas to build legal case against redrawn maps in second session
Democratic Rep. Nicole Collier sues for unlawful detainment while trapped in the Texas capitol
Texas Capitol evacuated over alleged shooting threat during night two of Rep. Nicole Collier’s protest
This article appears in Aug 7-20, 2025.