Yet there Abbott was on Thursday, announcing he would appoint the one-time irritant as the new state comptroller. Huffines will replace acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, whom Huffines beat in the Republican primary in March. If the Dallas native defeats Austin Democrat Sarah Eckhardt in the November election, he will keep the job for four more years.
“Don Huffines brings the right mix of business experience and conservative principles to this vital office,” Abbott said. “His private-sector experience and dedication to limited government make him exceptionally qualified to lead the state’s finances and protect every taxpayer dollar with integrity and accountability.”
The change of heart partly reflects how Huffines has been trying to warm up his once frosty relationship with Abbott. Even before his primary win over Hancock, whom Abbott endorsed and campaigned for, Huffines made it a point on the Texas Take Podcast to downplay his past attacks on Abbott during the 2022 election cycle, when Huffines spent more than $10 million trying to defeat the governor in the Republican primary.
“I look forward to working with the governor and the Legislature,” Huffines told me in that interview.
Huffines said those previous dustups were all in the past and he is now focused on doing the best he can to look out for taxpayers. But Huffines has also said he’s not afraid to get sideways with any Republican if he finds it necessary.
“Look, I just echo the voice of the people, of the Republican voters,” Huffines said. “I’m their conscience.”
That approach could come into play as Huffines promises to “DOGE” Texas.
Huffines has campaigned on the idea of repeating President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, the controversial anti-fraud effort led by billionaire Elon Musk that led to huge slashes in government spending.
He said just like the federal government, there’s overspending happening even though Republicans have had an iron grip on the state over the last 25 years.
“It’s not possible we don’t have corruption or fraud; it’s not even possible,” Huffines said.
He takes over at the office on Aug. 1.