TEXAS — After originally launching a campaign for Congress in October, State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, has announced her run for Texas Comptroller.
The Comptroller controls all things finance for the state, including tax collecting, accounting, revenue estimating and keeping government books. Currently, Kelly Hancock is the Acting Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
“Texans deserve a leader who will stand up for public school funding, act as a watchdog over the budget, and fight fraud, waste, and abuse in government spending,” Eckhardt said in a statement. “We need a Comptroller who will work to ensure every dollar is used in the best interest of everyday Texans, and who is not afraid to expose state leaders when they refuse to play by the rules and deliver affordability.”
The senator, who currently serves Texas’ District 14, previously worked as a prosecutor, county commissioner and Travis County’s first female judge. Her political career spans more than 20 years.
Her congressional run was supposed to be for Texas’ 10th Congressional District, a seat belonging to U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, since 2005. McCaul is not seeking reelection.
In a statement, Eckhardt said that “her campaign would focus on rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse of public dollars.”
“Texas is capable of so much more, but we have leaders who care more about partisan primaries than they do about a duty to the taxpayers or fidelity to the law,” Eckhardt said. “If elected, I will restore an independent voice to the Comptroller’s office, making sure everyone pays their fair share into and gets their fair share out of our state government.”