Comptroller of Public Accounts — Texas

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Election: November 3, 2026. Research checked: October 8, 2026.

Four printed candidates are certified: Don Huffines, Sarah Eckhardt, V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza and Shehla Faizi. The statewide write-in certification contains no Comptroller candidate. All four are included regardless of party, campaign size or media attention.

WHAT THE COMPTROLLER CAN ACTUALLY DO

The Comptroller is the state's chief financial officer: collecting state taxes and fees, disbursing funds, returning unclaimed property and providing spending transparency. Revenue estimates and budget certification are central to the state budget process. The office also has purchasing and program-administration responsibilities under state law.

Tax administration is different from independently setting every tax rate or deciding every appropriation. State and local lawmakers, constitutional provisions and other agencies constrain what the office can change. Promises to abolish a tax, redirect school money, change investment restrictions or audit another government need an identified legal authority and implementation route.

Official office information · Governor's July 2 appointment notice and office duties · Texas Constitution

ALL CERTIFIED CHOICES

August 28 printed certification · Statewide write-in certification

DON HUFFINES

Republican — printed ballot; appointed incumbent. The Governor's July 2 notice states his appointment would take effect August 1, 2026, and documents Senate service from 2015 to 2019 and a finance degree. His campaign proposes government audits, spending efficiency, property-tax relief, preference for Texas businesses in procurement, infrastructure contract review and administration of education savings accounts. Its corruption and savings claims require records beyond campaign assertions.

Campaign · Priorities · Appointment record

Questions: Which audit powers apply to each proposed target, and what neutral selection rules will you publish? What recurring funding replaces revenue lost through proposed tax relief? How will you distinguish recoverable waste from lawful spending you oppose? What conflict safeguards apply to contracts affecting past business interests?

SARAH ECKHARDT

Democratic — printed ballot. The Senate records service from 2020, earlier work as an assistant county attorney and county commissioner, and service as Travis County Judge from 2015 to 2020. Her campaign homepage prioritizes public schools, auditing the voucher program, stopping no-bid contracts and ending single-party control. Its short priority list is a starting point; it does not establish a detailed audit schedule, quantified savings or a full implementation plan.

Campaign priorities · Senate biography, bills and public correspondence

Questions: What findings and deadlines would your voucher audit produce? Which no-bid exceptions would you change, under what statutory authority? How would you keep revenue estimates and audits independent of party pressure? Which documented county-budget outcomes best demonstrate your fiscal management?

V. ALONZO ECHAVARRIA-GARZA

Libertarian — printed ballot. The Texas party identifies this candidacy and supplies a photograph. Hearne's public staff directory identifies Echavarria-Garza as City Manager, providing an independently attributable starting point for municipal-administration experience. A current standalone Comptroller campaign website and sufficiently detailed personal policy platform have not been verified in this pass. Party principles are not substituted for individual commitments.

Party profile · Hearne public directory

Questions: Where can voters read your current fiscal plan? Which municipal budgets, audits and performance records show your relevant experience? What tax-administration, procurement, forecasting and unclaimed-property changes would you make, with what costs, targets and deadlines?

Missing published evidence is a research gap, not proof of no effort and not a zero score.

SHEHLA FAIZI

Green — printed ballot. Her campaign calls for spending transparency, ending foreign-bond investment and data-center tax breaks, repeal of anti-boycott restrictions, unbiased administration of vouchers and contracts, and changes to cooperation with immigration enforcement. Her biography describes design, advertising and journalism experience. Several proposals concern statutes or officials outside the Comptroller's sole control; the campaign must explain which steps involve administration, litigation, legislation or advocacy.

Campaign, pledges and biography ›

Questions: What legal changes would investment and anti-boycott proposals require? How would you publish the cost and benefit of each incentive? What qualifications and controls would support reliable revenue forecasts and management of public funds? How would you ensure equal treatment across all eligible applicants and contractors?

FINANCE AND COMPARATIVE RECORDS

The dated snapshot below supplies a first verified finance comparison; newer filings and a complete committee reconciliation remain pending. Contributions, spending, loans and cash on hand are separate measures and must use the same identified period and amended reports. Missing filings mean unknown, not zero.

The project's low-funded threshold is less than $100,000 in reported contributions during the same named comparison period. Verified full-period classifications appear in the snapshot below. Money never determines eligibility for this report.

Further research must examine revenue-estimate accuracy, audit findings, contract oversight, program performance, conflict disclosures and the candidates' documented public records. A campaign's description of success is not an independent evaluation.

DATED CAMPAIGN-FINANCE SNAPSHOT

Checked October 8, 2026; July semiannual reports due July 15, covering periods ending June 30. These are reported figures from the Texas Ethics Commission July totals, cross-checkable through the official totals index and July balance list. They are an identified historical snapshot, not current October balances. Newer pre-election filings, amendments, itemized donors and other committees remain to be reviewed.

The June 30 contribution-maintenance balances and outstanding loans share a measurement date. Contribution and spending totals cover the different start dates shown: compare flows only between rows with identical periods. Do not treat a shorter-period total as a full first-half-year total or rank campaigns across unequal windows. Contributions can include noncash support; balances are not net wealth and loans are not donations. The reported total lines are used without adding the small-item subtotal a second time.

Low-funded definition: less than $100,000 in reported contributions for January 1–June 30, 2026. The complete-period rows meeting that disclosed threshold here are V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza (Victor A.); Shehla Faizi. Rows with later starts remain unclassified until preceding reports are reconciled; unmatched filings mean unknown, not zero. A zero shown above is an explicit reported line for that period, not a finding that the campaign did nothing or never raised funds. Funding does not determine inclusion, seriousness, eligibility or assessment score.

THREE VOICES AND PROVISIONAL REPORT CARD

AI research / provisional view: this sourced first pass. All four are presently unscored. California's framework covers experience, accountability, education, affordability, economic opportunity, civil rights and religious freedom for everyone, environment, practical powers and measurable commitments. The commitment category uses up to two points each for action, mechanism, authority, target and deadline. An overall /90 total requires adequate comparable evidence in all nine categories.

Voter response: Omar and readers can supply their own views. Candidate response / self-assessment: every candidate can submit corrections, records and a self-assessment. No direct responses to this report, voter totals, Omar score or endorsement are invented. Forecasts are separate from assessments.

Common request: Name three priorities, legal authority, delivery mechanism, recurring costs, measurable targets and deadlines, with the records voters can use to check results.

PHOTO SOURCES

Huffines: campaign photograph, Courtney Reed · Eckhardt: Texas Senate · Echavarria-Garza: Texas party · Faizi: campaign, Moments by Manar

All four images are sourced; no portrait is generated.