The treasurer of the Texas Democratic Party, Dr. Carla Wyatt, described feeling “in heaven” just before being arrested for suspected drunk driving.
This incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. Saturday when officers found the 56-year-old asleep in her blue Toyota SUV, which was parked in the left lane of a Texas City freeway.
When an officer approached, he turned off the vehicle’s engine and attempted to rouse her.
In court documents, it was noted that when she woke up, the officer asked her where she was, to which she replied “in heaven.” When pressed about her actual location, Wyatt inaccurately stated she was in Houston, which is about 62 miles away from Texas City.
She reportedly mentioned she was en route to a meeting in Galveston scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
Initially, Wyatt claimed to have consumed just one glass of wine but later changed that to two. Officers also detected the smell of alcohol on her breath.
According to the report, Wyatt appeared to be unsteady and was sitting on the back bumper of her vehicle to maintain her balance.
A horizontal gaze nystagmus test indicated some level of impairment, but she refused further testing, citing discomfort from a previous injury to her left leg.
Wyatt was taken into custody at the Galveston County Jail on DWI charges but was released afterward. Her attorney, Christopher Downey, strongly disputes any wrongdoing.
“We anticipate uncovering the facts and questioning the basis of these charges,” he stated.
He emphasized that, like any other citizen, Dr. Wyatt should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
Notably, Wyatt had previously faced a DWI charge in 2023 with a blood alcohol level of 0.365%, significantly over the legal limit of 0.08. Those charges were dismissed after she completed a court program.
However, there were allegations that she did not have an ignition interlock device installed in her vehicle at that time.
She also faced arrest in December 2025 on suspicion of carjacking but was acquitted when a grand jury chose not to indict her.
This situation stemmed from accusations of breaking into another vehicle and searching for items inside.
It was unusual for such charges, typically misdemeanors, to go before a grand jury, but her defense team welcomed this development as a way to ensure the decision wasn’t influenced by political motivations.
Wyatt has been diagnosed with cerebrovascular disease and experienced a mild stroke.
Currently, she is seeking re-election as Harris County Treasurer, facing Republican candidate Mark Cowart in November, after going unchallenged in the Democratic primary.
In 2022, Wyatt won her position by a narrow margin against Republican Kyle Scott.
She had come to the ballot after defeating incumbent Treasurer Dylan Osborne in the Democratic primary.
