Four Republican candidates are running for Texas comptroller in the upcoming March 3 primary election.
Michael Berlanga, Christi Craddick, Kelly Hancock and Don Huffines are seeking the Republican nomination to be Texas’ next chief financial officer. The Republican nominee will face the winner of the Democratic primary in November; the winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.
The comptroller’s office is open after former state comptroller Glenn Hegar stepped down in July to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. Former state Sen. Kelly Hancock currently serves as acting state comptroller and is running in the Republican primary, although he is not considered the incumbent in the race.
The comptroller is tasked with overseeing government spending, projecting Texas’ biennial budget for state legislators, reporting on statewide economic issues, and managing the state treasury and unclaimed property programs. Hancock’s office also recently launched the state’s new education savings account program, as mandated by the Texas Legislature.
Early voting begins Feb. 17 for March 3 primary races across Texas, including 18 statewide races and various local races. Registered voters may cast ballots in either Texas’ Republican or Democratic primary, but not both. Third-party candidates will appear on the ballot in November.
Community Impact gave all candidates running for contested statewide offices more than three weeks to complete the primary election questionnaire and communicated with their campaigns periodically. Community Impact‘s goal with election Q&As is to provide a side-by-side, equitable resource for Texas voters to review candidates’ perspectives as they prepare to head to the polls.
To ensure that candidates are the ones defining their positions in Community Impact‘s voter guide, if candidates did not complete the questionnaire after multiple attempts to contact them, the website reads “candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.” Candidates were informed of this policy.
Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been minimally edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
As the only CPA Comptroller in history, I would make sure every Texan knows their rights to reduce their property values and to achieve the Governor’s goal of eliminating school property taxes.
How will you work with local governments to promote continued economic growth?
By eliminating school property taxes, the burden on local businesses will be lessened for not only consumers but also providers of products and services. Instilling efficiency and integrity to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse of local governments through implementation of metric-based goals for delivery of essential services.
With Texas’ education savings account program launching in 2026, what will be your objectives in administering the program?
Management of this program by Texas based consultants by seeking elimination of school property taxes will in turn eliminate this state-funded program. Universal school choice will only be achieved when NO SCHOOL property taxes are levied on any property owner freeing up the taxpayer to fund all Texas children.
What is needed to balance growth and housing affordability in Texas?
Eliminate school property taxes, restore affordable insurance, and reduce the burden of taxes before any other state will lead to population growth from other states like never before. Simultaneously offering protocols to local jurisdictions in managing the growth in a dynamic manner.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next five years?
Reducing the budget of Texas to use essential services while restricting discretionary spending. Reducing unfunded mandates on local government with metric-based correlation of funding to services essential based on population as well as geographically based services such as roads and emergency response.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
My priorities are fiscal discipline, economic growth, and accountability. Just as I always have, I will protect taxpayers, strengthen Texas’ financial future, oversee major programs responsibly, and ensure every dollar works as hard as the people who earn it.
How will you work with local governments to promote continued economic growth?
I will partner with local leaders by providing clear data, predictable forecasting, and fewer bureaucratic hurdles, allowing communities to grow, attract jobs, and invest in infrastructure without raising taxes or over-regulating.
With Texas’ education savings account program launching in 2026, what will be your objectives in administering the program?
I have a lot of experience in managing complex systems in my current role as Railroad Commissioner. Just as before, I will protect taxpayer dollars, prevent fraud, and ensure families—especially rural and underserved—can use ESAs confidently to choose the best education for their children.
What is needed to balance growth and housing affordability in Texas?
We need fewer regulations, common sense local processes, and smart infrastructure planning. When government gets out of the way, builders can increase supply, costs come down, and Texas families can afford to live where they work.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next five years?
Managing rapid growth without losing what makes Texas work – low taxes, strong infrastructure, affordable housing, and fiscal discipline. The Comptroller must keep Texas competitive while protecting taxpayers and planning responsibly for the future.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
I’ve been serving as Texas Comptroller since last year, and we’ve delivered real conservative results: empowering parents with education freedom, securing the border, protecting taxpayer dollars, cutting government red tape, and increasing transparency. I will continue this work while expanding audit authority to rein in runaway local debt and keep …
How will you work with local governments to promote continued economic growth?
I’ll work with local governments by providing transparent data through TexStats, our public economic data dashboard, modern financial systems, and predictable tax policy. Economic growth thrives when cities and counties live within their means, control spending, avoid excessive debt, and maintain a pro-business environment that attracts jobs and investment.
With Texas’ education savings account program launching in 2026, what will be your objectives in administering the program?
As Comptroller, we are launching the largest day-one education freedom program in the nation. My priority is a secure and transparent rollout that empowers parents and ensures taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and efficiently, with safeguards so funds are not directed to schools tied to terrorist or prohibited organizations.
What is needed to balance growth and housing affordability in Texas?
Texas leads the nation in local debt, which drives up housing costs and property taxes. We must hold local governments accountable, rein in runaway appraisals, and stop saddling future generations with debt. I’ve supported over $90 billion in property tax relief and launched a new local debt dashboard to bring …
What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next five years?
Managing rapid growth without losing fiscal discipline or Texas values. Texas must keep spending in check, secure the border, root out DEI, and maintain a strong pro-business climate—while aggressively auditing waste, fraud, and abuse, including ongoing audits of cities and universities, and avoiding higher taxes or unsustainable local debt.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
My top priorities are simple: respect taxpayer dollars, audit all government, and expose fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption. We spend over $500 million a day. A dollar saved is a dollar earned for property tax relief, because that money belongs to the taxpayer, not the government.
How will you work with local governments to promote continued economic growth?
I’ll promote economic growth by cutting job-killing regulations and getting government out of the way. Texas traffic is out of control, so I’ll audit TxDOT contracts to finish projects on time and keep TxDOT 5 years ahead of demand. As Comptroller, I’ll DOGE Texas and fight to cut property taxes.
With Texas’ education savings account program launching in 2026, what will be your objectives in administering the program?
I’ve always fought for education freedom and real competition, because competition lowers costs and raises the quality. As Comptroller, I’ll manage Texas’ new Education Savings Account program so parents can choose the best school for their child. I’ll ensure it’s transparent and empowers parents with no strings attached.
What is needed to balance growth and housing affordability in Texas?
Government is the number one driver of housing costs, sky-high property taxes and California-style regulation and red tape. As Comptroller, I’ll expose the policies making the American Dream unaffordable, fight to slash property taxes, and shine a light on local spending and regulations that are pricing Texans out.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next five years?
The greatest challenge is runaway state spending and a growing bureaucracy that wastes taxpayer money and erodes freedom. We must DOGE Texas government, audit agencies, expose fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption, and hold bad actors accountable. With courageous oversight, we can return savings to taxpayers through real property tax relief.