Comptroller race centers on Texas school voucher program funding
Texas' 2026 comptroller election includes a high-stakes debate over the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program. Current Comptroller Don Huffines, the Republican candidate, is requesting to double TEFA's budget to $2 billion for the 2028-29 biennium to cover waitlisted families, while Democratic challenger Sarah Eckhardt argues the program should be evaluated before expanding funding.
- When it happened
- October 29, 2026
- Where
- Texas
- First reported by an outlet
- Oct 29, 2026 at 12:00 am
- Confirmed by
- the original record or a trusted outlet
Taxes & money
| What | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) current fund | $1 billion[1] | state |
| TEFA additional funding requested for 2028-29 biennium | $1 billion[1] | state |
Who's involved
The facts
- Current Comptroller Don Huffines was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in spring 2026 after defeating Kelly Hancock in the March 2026 Republican primary. [1][1]
- Texas counted more than 274,000 requests for TEFA money to fund private or homeschooling as of October 29, 2026. [1][1]
- More than 100,000 students received TEFA money before the program reached its $1 billion cap. [1][1]
- In his appropriations request to state lawmakers, Comptroller Huffines is asking to add another $1 billion to TEFA during the 2028-29 biennium, which would more than double the program's budget. [1][1]
- State data shows 70% of TEFA recipients already had their children in private or home schools as of October 29, 2026. [1][1]
- The comptroller race includes Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Green Party candidates. [1][1]
Who said what
- Comptroller Don Huffines He is 'a champion' of the TEFA program and sees high demand that 'is going to do nothing but substantially increase.' He stated that legislation requires him to present lawmakers a budget that includes everyone on the waitlist. [1][1]
- Democratic candidate Sarah Eckhardt A new program should not double its funding before completing a single year of operation; lawmakers should first see the results and then decide if the program worked, didn't work, or should be 'scuttled.' [1][1]
- Brent Boyea, political science professor at University of Texas at Arlington The comptroller is in charge of estimating state revenue, certifying budget funds, and determining expected economic growth, making the role 'a pretty important function.' [1][1]
- Jim Hamill, with Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business The comptroller is supposed to evaluate the effectiveness of a fund like TEFA, but he worries about bias built into the system since TEFA recipients already favor private and homeschooling. [1][1]
Where sources disagree
Sources
- News Texas’ next comptroller will control $1 billion school voucher fund – and it could double Houston Public Media · Oct 29, 2026
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Written by AI from the sources above, under fixed rules: every fact is cited, claims are kept apart from facts, and dollar figures appear only when a source states them. Mistakes get corrected in public.