Comptroller
StatewideDon Huffines (R) faces Sarah Eckhardt (D) for Comptroller on November 3, 2026.
Don Huffines enters November as the appointed incumbent: after acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock stepped down on July 31, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Huffines, already the GOP nominee, to the office effective August 1, 2026. The seat opened when Glenn Hegar left to become Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. Huffines won the Republican primary with 57.4%; Sarah Eckhardt won the Democratic primary with 64.1%. No major handicapper rates the race; the rating reflects Texas's structural lean (no Democrat has won Comptroller since 1994).
Incumbent: Don Huffines(R)
Texas's chief financial officer, certifies the $321 billion state budget, collects taxes, manages state funds, and provides economic forecasts that determine what the Legislature can spend.
November General Election
Nov 3, 2026No major handicapper rates Texas down-ballot statewide races. Don Huffines (R), appointed Comptroller effective August 1, 2026, now defends the office against Travis County state senator Sarah Eckhardt (D). A five-month appointment carries less incumbency advantage than a full term, but no Democrat has won the comptroller's office since 1994. The rating reflects structural lean, not a forecast.
The November ballot, explained
Texas race coverage by email, only when something changes before Nov 3.
Primary Results
Winner.Don Huffines
Kelly Hancock(i)
Christi Craddick
Michael Berlanga
Winner.Sarah Eckhardt
Savant Moore
Michael LangePolls vs. Results
Republican Primary
| Candidate | Party | Poll prediction (%) | Actual result (%) | Difference | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Huffines | Republican | 33% | 57.4% | +24.4 | Winner |
| Kelly Hancock | Republican | 13% | 23.7% | +10.7 | |
| Christi Craddick | Republican | 21% | 15.1% | -5.9 | |
| Michael Berlanga | Republican | No poll data | 3.9% | N/A |
Republican nominee
Texas Comptroller (appointed August 2026); former State Senator
Democratic nominee
State Senator, SD-14
Also on the ballot
- V. Alonzo Echavarria-GarzaLibertarian
- Shehla FaiziGreen
Certified for the November 3 ballot by the Texas Secretary of State, August 28, 2026.
Comptroller
GOP Primary
Runoff Watch| Candidate | Support |
|---|---|
| Don Huffines | 33% |
| Christi Craddick | 21% |
| Kelly Hancock | 13% |
General Election Polling
| Pollster | Date | Sample | Huffines | Eckhardt | Undec. | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Public Opinion ResearchTPOR director Luke Warford is a Democratic strategist. Ballot named Libertarian V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza at 1%. | Aug 2026 | 1,000 LV±3.3 MOE | 43% | 41% | — | Tied |
| UT Texas Politics ProjectBallot named Libertarian V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza at 1% and Green Shehla Faizi at 1%. Registered voters, not likely voters. | Aug 2026 | 1,200 RV±2.83 MOE | 40% | 34% | — | Huffines +6 |
| Texas Southern UniversityFour-way ballot incl. V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza (L) 2% and Shehla Faizi (G) under 1%; 13% undecided. 79% of likely voters did not know enough about Eckhardt to rate her. Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center; SMS-to-web, fielded Jul 27-30, coauthored by Rice's Mark P. Jones. Sampling frame and weighting variables are not disclosed in the report. | Jul 2026 | 1,200 LV±2.83 MOE | 46% | 39% | — | Huffines +7 |
Each row is one poll, shown as reported. Headline cards separately average eligible independent likely-voter polls; see the methodology page. “Tied” means the reported gap is within the poll's stated uncertainty, not that the candidates have equal support. An undecided share appears only when explicitly recorded from the source; a dash means it has not been recorded. Independently rounded categories may not sum to 100%. Likely-voter (LV) and registered-voter (RV) samples are not directly comparable.
Frequently Asked
Who is running for Texas Comptroller in 2026?
Don Huffines (R) faces Sarah Eckhardt (D) in the November 3, 2026 general election.
When is the 2026 Texas Comptroller election?
The general election is November 3, 2026. The voter registration deadline is October 5, early voting runs October 19 to 30, and mail-ballot applications are due October 23.
Is the 2026 Texas Comptroller race competitive?
No major handicapper rates this race. TexPolls lists it as Likely Republican based on Texas's structural partisan lean and recent statewide results, not a forecast. No Democrat has won a statewide Texas office since 1994.
What does the Texas Comptroller do?
Texas's chief financial officer, certifies the $321 billion state budget, collects taxes, manages state funds, and provides economic forecasts that determine what the Legislature can spend.
How were the 2026 Comptroller nominees decided?
Don Huffines enters November as the appointed incumbent: after acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock stepped down on July 31, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Huffines, already the GOP nominee, to the office effective August 1, 2026. The seat opened when Glenn Hegar left to become Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. Huffines won the Republican primary with 57.4%; Sarah Eckhardt won the Democratic primary with 64.1%. No major handicapper rates the race; the rating reflects Texas's structural lean (no Democrat has won Comptroller since 1994).
Who else is on the ballot for Comptroller in 2026?
Beyond the Republican and Democratic nominees, V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza is the Libertarian candidate, and Shehla Faizi is the Green candidate. The full November 3 ballot was certified by the Texas Secretary of State on August 28, 2026.
Key Dates
Runoff date: May 26, 2026
Other statewide races
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