The GOP primary for Texas comptroller has attracted three well-known political figures with stuffed campaign accounts, along with one interesting outsider running on a pocket-change budget. The comptroller serves as the state’s chief financial officer.
Kelly Hancock is a former state senator from northern Tarrant County. He stepped down from that seat in June, became chief clerk for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, then rose to interim comptroller when Glenn Hegar resigned to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
Hancock’s temperament, his breadth of experience in both houses of the Legislature and his integrity give him the edge in this race. He chaired the Senate Business and Commerce Committee and served on the Legislative Budget Board. He’s also been a small business owner and a school board member; he understands revenue and budgets from a variety of perspectives. He has a strong track record of fiscal conservatism. We recommend Hancock in the primary.
The other three candidates include Don Huffines, a real estate developer from North Texas. He served in the state Senate from 2015-19 and ran unsuccessfully in the 2022 GOP primary for governor. His key policy idea is “to DOGE Texas.” He has signed onto a pledge that encourages the state to secede from the United States.
Opinion
Another candidate is Christi Craddick, who currently serves on the Texas Railroad Commission. The daughter of longtime state representative and former Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, she was first elected to the commission in 2012. Her campaign materials emphasize her desire to “audit everything,” meaning state agencies and local governments as well.
Michael Berlanga, a CPA and real estate broker, is a longshot candidate whose campaign focuses on the comptroller’s role in the property appraisal process, an esoteric but important duty of the office. He also wants appraisal districts to more clearly explain the protest process and property owners’ rights.
The comptroller’s job is invisible but crucial. The state needs an honest account of its balance sheet and a careful certification of its budget, just two of the office’s many roles.
Also, lawmakers often hand the office additional duties. During the 89th Legislature, they passed a $1 billion education savings account program, and gave the comptroller responsibility for overseeing it. Legislators also established a cryptocurrency reserve fund that the office must manage.
We aren’t confident Huffines would put the real numbers ahead of his politics. We are also queasy about Craddick, given her indifference to persistent conflicts of interest as a railroad commissioner.
Gov. Greg Abbott has endorsed Hancock. We believe Hancock has the standing, knowledge and personal integrity to ensure that Texas is handling its accounts properly.
If we fail at that, our state’s economic miracle could vanish before our eyes.
This editorial is part of the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board’s slate of recommendations for the 2026 primary. Find the full project here.
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