As Texans prepare for the 2026 primaries, attention is turning toward the race for the state’s top financial office. High Plains Pundit is sharing background on leading candidates to help voters make informed decisions. In particularly crowded contests, the focus is on those with political experience or campaigns showing competitiveness, measured by fundraising, endorsements, and online presence. For a full candidate list, consult our primary ballot page, and for broader guidance on the voting process, see our comprehensive primary guides.
The Office at a Glance
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts serves as the state’s chief financial officer, a role central to Texas’ fiscal health. Key responsibilities include collecting sales taxes on behalf of local governments, managing hundreds of state contracts, and estimating state revenues and economic trends—data that directly informs the Legislature’s biennial budget decisions. The office also oversees a newly established $1 billion public school voucher program, allowing parents to use taxpayer funds for private school tuition and educational expenses.
Beyond routine financial duties, the office carries influence over policy debates. In recent years, the comptroller’s office has expanded its scope into social issues, including conducting investigations related to public events. The individual holding this office will significantly affect the state’s fiscal trajectory, including how surplus funds are managed. Texas has long benefited from budget surpluses, which have allowed for property tax relief, teacher pay increases, and investment in infrastructure projects like water systems.
Candidates Overview
This cycle, several Republicans and Democrats have emerged as frontrunners. Fundraising totals and major endorsements suggest a competitive GOP primary, while the Democratic field is comparatively smaller and less funded.
Kelly Hancock – Republican, Acting Comptroller
Hancock has served as acting comptroller since July, immediately overseeing the state’s new public school voucher program. His background includes nearly 20 years in the Texas Legislature, first in the House and later in the Senate. He chaired the Senate Business and Commerce Committee and spent a decade on the Senate Finance Committee, which manages state budgeting. Hancock also has experience as a local school board member.
Hancock’s political profile is socially and fiscally conservative. He authored legislation limiting growth in general revenue spending to inflation and population growth rates and negotiated a law capping local government revenue increases without voter approval. He has also maintained a cooperative working relationship with Attorney General Ken Paxton on certain policy issues, despite having been one of two Republican senators to vote in favor of Paxton’s impeachment.
Policy priorities include reducing government spending, lowering taxes, investigating fraud, supporting strict border enforcement, and eliminating diversity and equity-focused programs in state contracting.
Hancock has secured high-profile endorsements, including from Governor Greg Abbott, multiple industry and law enforcement groups, and local elected officials such as district attorneys and sheriffs. His campaign reports $7 million cash on hand, with major donations from business leaders and political action committees tied to the GOP.
Don Huffines – Republican
Huffines, a former state senator and real estate developer, brings a mix of business and political experience. He and his brother founded one of the largest development companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In the Legislature, Huffines led efforts to address perceived financial mismanagement in local school transportation programs and has run a statewide campaign previously, challenging Governor Abbott in the 2022 Republican primary.
Huffines identifies as a MAGA Republican with libertarian and Christian principles. His stated priorities include ending government regulations seen as burdensome to businesses, auditing government spending to reimburse taxpayers, examining the fiscal impact of undocumented immigration, and implementing the new school voucher program with transparency. He has also proposed reviewing highway construction contracts to address traffic concerns.
Huffines has raised significant funds, reporting $11.7 million cash on hand, with major contributions from his brother, national political groups, and private donors. Endorsements include U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, five current U.S. Representatives, business leaders, and advocacy groups focused on gun rights.
Christi Craddick – Republican
Craddick has served on the Railroad Commission of Texas since 2012, following a career in energy law and policy. The daughter of a former Texas House Speaker, she positions herself as a conservative candidate focused on financial accountability and government efficiency.
Her priorities center on oversight of state contracts to prevent fraud, scrutinizing local government budgets and tax proposals, and supporting small businesses through streamlined tax processes. Craddick has raised $2.8 million and received contributions from oil and gas executives and related PACs. Endorsements include prominent Texas business figures.
Sarah Eckhardt – Democrat
Eckhardt, a former Travis County Judge and current state senator, represents the leading Democratic candidate. She has a record as a progressive legislator and has frequently clashed with the Senate leadership on procedural and policy issues. Eckhardt emphasizes running an independent, transparent comptroller’s office, focusing on rooting out government corruption, maintaining public safety, and restoring trust in state institutions.
Her fundraising is modest compared to her Republican counterparts, with $183,691 cash on hand and contributions from legal professionals and trial lawyer associations. She has received endorsements from labor and advocacy groups, including the Texas AFL-CIO and the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus.
Two other Democrats, Michael Lange and Savant Moore, have filed to run, though they have not attracted the same level of funding or public attention.
What’s at Stake
The comptroller’s office plays a pivotal role in shaping Texas’ fiscal policy and, by extension, public services and infrastructure. Decisions made by the office influence budget planning, tax policy, and the allocation of funds for education, transportation, and state programs. The upcoming election could also affect how the office engages with broader social and policy issues, given the recent trend of expanded authority.
Republicans are largely favored in statewide races, reflected in both campaign fundraising and endorsements. However, Democratic candidates highlight transparency, integrity, and government accountability as central themes, aiming to contrast their approach with the GOP focus on spending limits and regulatory oversight.
For voters, the choice will hinge not only on political philosophy but also on experience, management style, and approach to fiscal oversight. With the state managing a sizable budget surplus, each candidate’s plan for taxes, spending, and financial governance will have tangible impacts on everyday Texans.
Conclusion
The 2026 Texas Comptroller primary is shaping up to be a competitive contest, particularly among Republicans where cash, endorsements, and political experience could play decisive roles. Hancock brings legislative experience and current office familiarity; Huffines emphasizes auditing and business-friendly policies; Craddick offers regulatory oversight experience; and Eckhardt represents the Democratic focus on accountability and government transparency.
