Who is running for Texas Comptroller in 2026?

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (appointed; took office Aug. 1, 2026)

Don Huffines is a Republican businessman who co-founded Huffines Communities, a Dallas-Fort Worth real estate development company, and served in the Texas Senate for District 16 from 2015 to 2019¹. He won the March 2026 Republican primary for comptroller, defeating acting comptroller Kelly Hancock³. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him comptroller on July 2, 2026, and he took office Aug. 1, so he is serving in the office he is running for¹².

Where they stand

• Property taxes: Eliminate school property taxes and replace them with sales tax or state money Said · high confidence
  • Wrote that Texas should phase out the school property tax by buying down rates every session and pass a constitutional provision making the state pay all school taxes. (2023-06-06) source
  • As comptroller, called rising property taxes "the single biggest threat" to Texas economic success and urged local governments to cut rates. (2026-08-27) source
  • Said the Legislature should dedicate surplus sales tax collections to reducing property taxes. (2026-09) source
  • Listed returning savings to taxpayers through property tax relief as a top priority. (2026-09-10) source
• School choice: Yes, universal school choice for every family Questionnaire answer · high confidence
  • Said his goal for the Texas Education Freedom Account program is to make it available to every family and student who wishes to participate. (2026-09-10) source
• Business regulation: Position does not fit our answer choices; see evidence. Official action · medium confidence
  • As a state senator, authored SB 1588 to eliminate regular mandatory vehicle safety inspections; it passed the Senate 27 to 4. (2017-05-04) source
  • Said in a candidate survey that he is passionate about shrinking the size of government. (2026) source

No public position found on: AI data centers, Energy and climate.

Texas State Senator, District 14

Sarah Eckhardt is a Democratic state senator from Austin in her third term, representing Senate District 14¹⁵⁴. She previously served as an assistant Travis County attorney, a Travis County commissioner from 2006 to 2013, and Travis County Judge from 2015 to 2020². She won the Democratic nomination for comptroller in the March 3, 2026 primary¹.

Where they stand

• School choice: No, keep public money in traditional public schools Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted no on final Senate passage of SB 2, which created a state education savings account program to help pay for private school; it passed 19 to 12. (2025-02-05) source
  • Voted no on SB 8, an earlier education savings account bill that passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2023-04-06) source
  • Called the education savings account program a "$1 billion private school voucher program" and said she would report who benefits from it compared with the needs of public schools. (2026-09-10) source
  • Her campaign website lists "Protect Public Schools" and "Audit the Voucher Scheme" as priorities. (2026) source
• Energy and climate: A gradual shift to cleaner energy, driven by incentives Said · medium confidence
  • Said Texas should use its rainy day fund to speed water projects and "encourage the cleanest and most reliable energy and protect the ratepayer." (2026-09-10) source
  • In 2022 said climate change requires rapid innovation that markets will not produce without government involvement, and called for more renewable energy generation. (2022) source
  • Voted no on SB 819, a bill on renewable energy generation facilities that authorized new fees; it passed the Senate 22 to 9. (2025-04-15) source
  • Voted no on SB 388, setting legislative goals for electric generation capacity; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2025-03-19) source
• Property taxes: Position does not fit our answer choices; see evidence. Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted yes on SB 4, which raised the school homestead exemption; the final version passed 31 to 0. (2025-05-29) source
  • Voted yes on SB 23, which raised the school homestead exemption for older and disabled homeowners; it passed 30 to 1. (2025-05-29) source
  • Voted no on SB 10, which lowered the voter-approval tax rate limit for certain local taxing units; it passed the Senate 18 to 12. (2025-08-19) source
  • Said that as Travis County Judge she lowered property taxes three times. (2026) source

No public position found on: Business regulation, AI data centers.

Private citizen

Shehla Faizi is the Green Party nominee for comptroller, chosen at the party convention on April 11, 2026¹. She was born in the United States, raised in Karachi, Pakistan, and worked in advertising and marketing journalism before moving to Texas in 2012⁵². She has not held public office; she volunteered for the Green Party presidential campaign in 2024 and hosts a podcast on social and political issues⁵⁶.

Where they stand

• School choice: No, keep public money in traditional public schools Questionnaire answer · medium confidence
  • Said "We must end school vouchers and reinvest in Texas public schools," calling vouchers unfair for parents, students and schools and bad for taxpayers. (2026-09-10) source
  • Her campaign website pledges to administer the existing voucher program without religious bias. (2026-03-26) source
• AI data centers: Allow them case by case, with strict local rules on siting, noise and water Said · medium confidence
  • Said "No more tax breaks for data centers" as a top priority. (2026-09-10) source
  • Her campaign website says data centers must show a positive cost-benefit analysis and real job creation, that their water use must be more carefully considered, and that their energy use must not raise Texans' cost of living. (2026-03-26) source
  • Her campaign website lists "No tax breaks for data centers" as a pledge. (2026) source

No public position found on: Property taxes, Business regulation, Energy and climate.

City manager of Hearne, Texas

V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza is the city manager of Hearne, where he previously served as the city's chief financial officer, and has also worked in finance for the cities of Big Spring and Port Isabel³. He is the Libertarian nominee for comptroller, chosen at the party convention on April 11, 2026¹. He was also the Libertarian nominee for comptroller in 2022².

No public position found on: Property taxes, School choice, AI data centers, Business regulation, Energy and climate.