Editor’s note: To help readers learn more about the candidates running for statewide seats, The Texas Tribune is sharing information about the Republican, Democratic and third-party candidates. For more information on midterms and the voting process, check out our election resources here.
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About this elected seat: The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is the state’s chief financial officer. Among the office’s main responsibilities is collecting sales taxes from local government, managing hundreds of state contracts on behalf of other agencies and estimating the state’s revenue and economy, which instructs the Legislature’s budget drafting every two years. The office is also in charge of implementing a new $1 billion program that will offer families taxpayer-funded vouchers to send their kids to private schools and pay for educational expenses.
What’s at stake: The future of the office and the state, in some ways. For years Texas has benefited from a budget surplus — a financial fortune added to the state’s general revenue fund that’s afforded the state opportunities to trim property taxes, boost teacher pay and strengthen the state’s crumbling water infrastructure. This estimate comes from the comptroller. The office has typically remained mostly apolitical, but in recent years when the office waded into more social issues — like investigations that scrutinized drag shows.
This is an open seat. The previously elected comptroller Glenn Hegar left to be chancellor of Texas A&M in 2025. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed state Sen. Kelly Hancock to fill the post as acting comptroller, but he stepped down earlier this year after losing the primary. Abbott subsequently appointed Don Huffines to fill the post until the election.
Candidates at a glance:
Don Huffines
Republican, incumbent
💰 Campaign finance:
- Cash on hand as of June 30: $1 million
- Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $6.2 million
💰 Major donors this year:
- Huffines gave $3.2 million to his campaign
- Protect Freedom PAC, a group affiliated with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky — $500,000
- George B. Ryan, chairman/CEO of tax services firm Ryan LLC – $500,000
- Ryan (LLC) PAC – $250,000
- Farjo Holdings, which has ties to billionaire Farris Wilks – $150,000
- Mackenzie Price, co-founder of Alpha School – $100,000
Experience:
- He and his brother Phillip founded one of the largest real estate development companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Huffines Communities.
- State senator from 2015 to 2019
- Huffines challenged Gov. Greg Abbott in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial challenge.
Political ideology: Huffines is a MAGA Republican with libertarian and Christian roots. He has vowed to not take a state salary if he’s elected comptroller, root out government waste and ensure no public money is used to benefit any undocumented immigrants.
Policy stances:
- End government regulations that he says get in the way of job creation by burdening businesses
- “DOGE-ing,” or seeking out waste in Texas, by auditing government spending and reimbursing taxpayers through property tax relief
- Studying the cost of undocumented immigration on the state
- Implement the state’s new school vouchers program with transparency
- Fix traffic on Texas roads by auditing highway construction contracts
- Has criticized federal plans to build a border barrier through Big Bend National Park
In the news:
- Don Huffines sworn in as Texas comptroller ahead of November elections, The Texas Tribune
- Texas Republicans have huge cash edge in statewide elections, The Texas Tribune
Endorsements:
- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz
- Five sitting U.S. Representatives from Texas: Chip Roy, Wesley Hunt, Ronny Jackson, Keith Self, and Brandon Gill
- Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, owner of Gallery Furniture who has lent his backing to GOP candidates in recent years and is known for his hospitality during natural disasters
- Kenny Webster, a popular young conservative radio host
- Texas Gun Rights
How to contact:
(214) 884-7025
6125 Luther Ln #294
Dallas, Texas, 75225
Sarah Eckhardt
Democrat
💰 Campaign finance:
- Cash on hand as of June 30: $240,002
- Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $394,531
💰 Major donors this year:
- Nelson Jones, Houston lawyer — $20,000
- Dale Linebarger, Austin lawyer — $10,000
- Donald Henley, professional musician – $8,500
- Joseph Bruegger, Dallas lawyer – $5,500
- Texas Sands PAC, prominent group funded by casino giant Las Vegas Sands and billionaire Miriam Adelson — $5,000
Experience:
- Served in the Texas Senate, representing Travis County, since 2020.
- Before serving in the Legislature’s upper chamber, she was Travis County Judge for five years.
- Former prosecutor.
Political ideology: Eckhardt has consistently ranked among the most liberal Democratic members in the Texas Senate based on her voting record. Perhaps as frequently, she’s been at odds with the chamber’s presiding officer, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who she recently accused of treating his role “as his church, as his pulpit.” Last summer she clashed with Patrick once again, calling him a bully when Patrick used a rare procedural move to kill a planned filibuster from Democrats who opposed a congressional redistricting map gerrymandered to max GOP representation in the U.S. House.
Policy stances:
- Wants the office to focus on ensuring Texans are safe, not on polarizing social issues
- Vows to root out government corruption and stop no-bid contracts to wealthy donors
- Wants to audit school vouchers and expose how much it costs when the state refuses Medicaid expansion
- Aims to restore trust in government by running an independent office with integrity
- Backed a moratorium on data center development
- Spoken out against a change requiring proof of legal immigration status to get professional licenses
In the news:
- Texas will require proof of legal immigration status to get professional licenses, The Texas Tribune (2026)
- Which families are using ESAs? Here’s what we know about Texas’ first school vouchers, The Texas Tribune (2026)
- Gov. Abbott appoints Don Huffines to be Texas comptroller, The Texas Tribune (2026)
- State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, Democratic nominee for comptroller, promises to be government watchdog, The Texas Tribune (2026)
- James Talarico calls for tighter regulations on data center development, The Texas Tribune (2026)
- Ken Paxton and James Talarico are neck and neck in U.S. Senate race, new poll finds, The Texas Tribune (2026)
- Texas Republicans have huge cash edge in statewide elections, The Texas Tribune (2026)
- State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt announces run for comptroller, dropping congressional bid, The Texas Tribune (2025)
Endorsements:
- Texas AFL-CIO, the largest labor union federation in the state
- The Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, the oldest civil rights organization in the south dedicated to LGBTQ issues
How to contact:
Sarah Eckhardt Campaign
P.O. Box 301586
Austin, TX 78703
V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza
Libertarian
💰 Campaign finance:
- Cash on hand as of June 30: $0
- Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $394
💰 Major donors this year:
- Libertarian Booster PAC – $394 in in-kind donations
Experience:
- Ran for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in 2022 also as a Libertarian and lost
- Listed occupation as CFO in state filings
- Hearne’s city manager since 2022, according to his LinkedIn
- Served as the City of Hearne’s chief financial officer from 2017-2022
Political ideology: The Libertarian Party of Texas’ platform says it seeks “the maximum protection for the rights of all people against any violation” and that “… government must be kept to the minimum necessary to protect the rights of individuals.” The party also says the government should not interfere in personal matters such as free speech, religion, marriage, family and property rights. It also supports the right to bear arms.
In the news:
- Democrat Talarico leads Republican Paxton in new U.S. Senate race polling, The Center Square (2026)
How to contact:
alonzoeg@live.com
Shehla Faizi
Green party
💰 Campaign finance:
- Cash on hand as of June 30: $3,433
- Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $4,250
💰 Major donors this year:
- Adeel Raza – $1,000
- Sana Haq – $422
- Noor Omar – $317
Experience:
- Has a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Karachi University and master’s degrees in journalism and strategic communications from Wayne State University and the University of Iowa
- Volunteered for the Green Party’s 2024 Jill Stein and Butch Ware presidential campaign
- Listed her occupation as podcaster in state filings
Political ideology: The Green Party’s key values include valuing all nature, direct civic participation, rejecting violence and restoring power to local communities under a “framework of ecologically sound and socially just values and lifestyles”. The party also says it seeks “new economics” that meet the basic needs of people and the planet within the natural limits of the earth and that it respects diversity among the earth and people.
Policy stances:
- More tax spending transparency
- No tax breaks for data centers; says she would instead prioritize funding disaster relief and public schools
- Would seek legal and political support to have the comptroller’s office divest from all foreign bonds and to end practices under Texas laws that target major companies seeking contracts with the state for boycotting Israel, fossil fuels or firearms manufacturers
- Would administer students’ school voucher money to private schools without bias to Islamic schools
- Would challenge the legality of a law that offers Texas Sheriff’s offices state grant money as an incentive to cooperate with federal ICE operations
In the news:
- Anti-Muslim hostility moves from Republican campaign rhetoric into everyday life in Texas, Muslim Network TV (2026)
- Meet the candidates for the Texas Comptroller race, The Daily Texan (2026)
How to contact:
Disclosure: Dale and Libby Linebarger and Las Vegas Sands Corporation have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune within the past five years. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in our journalism. Find a complete list of them and more information about our financial and disclosure policies here.