Sarah Eckhardt wins Texas comptroller race; first Democrat since 1999

Who's involved

• Sarah Eckhardt · state senator from Austin; elected Texas comptroller^[1,3]
• Don Huffines · Republican Texas Comptroller; appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott on August 1, 2026^[1,3]
• Greg Abbott · Texas Governor^[1,3]

The facts

1. Sarah Eckhardt declared victory in the November 3, 2026 election for Texas comptroller against Republican Don Huffines. [1]^[1]
2. Eckhardt became the first Democrat to oversee the Texas comptroller's office in decades. [1]^[1]
3. Eckhardt will be the first Democratic comptroller since 1999. [3]^[3]
4. Don Huffines was appointed to the comptroller's office by Gov. Greg Abbott and took office on August 1, 2026. [3]^[3]
5. Huffines defeated Abbott's preferred candidate in the Republican primary earlier in 2026. [1, 3]^[1,3]
6. The Texas comptroller's office is responsible for distributing sales tax revenue to local governments, overseeing state contracts and inspecting procurement processes. [1]^[1]
7. The comptroller's office oversees implementation of the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, a $1 billion program that offers families taxpayer-funded vouchers to send their children to private schools and pay for educational expenses. [1, 3]^[1,3]
8. The Comptroller must contract for at least annual audits of Texas Education Freedom Accounts accounts and eligibility, and the State Auditor will conduct periodic audits to check eligibility compliance and whether funds are used for approved expenses. [3]^[3]

Who said what

• Sarah Eckhardt She has vowed to audit the Texas Education Freedom Accounts voucher program.^[1]
• Sarah Eckhardt She campaigned on ensuring the comptroller's office operates as a government watchdog that takes on financial malfeasance and waste while scrutinizing state spending, including on the voucher program.^[1,3]
• Don Huffines In campaigning against Eckhardt, he pointed to his quasi-incumbency and how he wasted no time in taking on government abuse. He also warned Republican crowds about the threat presented by Democrats and the momentum they were riding into Election Day, saying in Lubbock, 'We're not doing good right now in the early vote. We're getting beat by the leftists. We're getting beat bad. You need to know that. You need to be scared.'^[1]