Don Huffines was sworn in Saturday as Texas comptroller in a private ceremony, immediately pledging to forgo his state salary while promising aggressive audits of government agencies and renewed efforts to expose wasteful spending.
“The first official act I took as Comptroller was to refuse a state salary,” Huffines told Texas Scorecard in his first interview since taking office. “I did not come here for a paycheck. I’m here because I love Texas, and I want to serve the people who make this state the greatest in America.”
The comptroller’s salary in Texas is currently $111,330. Huffines similarly did not take a paycheck when he served in the Texas Senate.
Huffines’ ascension to the office follows a series of political twists that began when former Comptroller Glenn Hegar left the position last year to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
Kelly Hancock resigned from the Texas Senate to join the comptroller’s office as chief clerk and became acting comptroller following Hegar’s departure. He also entered the 2026 Republican primary with Abbott’s endorsement.
Huffines, a Dallas businessman and former state senator who challenged Abbott for governor in 2022, entered the race promising to bring a business-minded approach to the office and “DOGE Texas” by exposing wasteful government spending.
He won the Republican nomination outright in March, defeating Hancock and Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick with approximately 57 percent of the vote.
Hancock subsequently announced he would step down from the office at the end of July. Abbott then appointed Huffines To serve the remainder of the term, allowing the Republican nominee to take office several months before the November general election.
Asked whether Abbott’s appointment surprised him, Huffines praised the governor and emphasized their relationship going forward.
“I have a great working relationship with Governor Abbott,” said Huffines. “He has provided bold, conservative leadership that has made Texas the nation’s economic engine, with record job creation, a thriving economy, and unmatched opportunity.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside him as we continue building an even brighter future for our state.”
Huffines said his experience in business and in the Texas Senate prepared him to oversee the state’s finances.
During his single term in the Senate, Huffines helped lead an effort to abolish Dallas County Schools, a scandal-plagued government agency that operated school buses and other transportation services. A federal investigation into corruption at the agency resulted in multiple convictions.
“I uncovered a massive corruption scheme at a Dallas-area government agency with a $100 million annual budget, led the effort to abolish the agency, and triggered a federal bribery investigation that resulted in multiple convictions and prison sentences,” said Huffines.
“Rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse will be a central focus of my work as Comptroller.”
Huffines said his administration will use the comptroller’s auditing and transparency authority to examine spending not only by state agencies but also by cities, counties, and school districts.
“We will aggressively audit to ensure tax dollars are spent responsibly,” he said. “Stopping fraud and corruption will top the list of priorities.”
“But we can’t stop there. If any government agency, whether it is the state of Texas or a local entity like a city, county, or school district, is wasting money on frivolous purchases or boondoggle projects, they need to be held accountable.”
Huffines said the comptroller’s office is uniquely equipped to expose how local governments spend public money.
“If they don’t like the kind of transparency that I intend to champion, they should get their house in order now because Texans deserve transparency, accountability, and confidence that every public dollar is being used responsibly,” he said.
Property tax relief will also be a priority.
Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dustin Burrows have said lowering property taxes will be a major focus when lawmakers return to Austin for the next legislative session.
Huffines said he will work with state leaders toward that goal while also pressuring local governments to use rising revenues to lower their tax burdens.
“Cities and counties across Texas are seeing strong sales tax collections and growing revenues,” he said. “As they prepare their budgets, they should look for every opportunity to return those dollars to taxpayers through lower property taxes.”
Huffines will simultaneously lead the comptroller’s office and campaign against Democrat State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt in November.
He said he is confident voters will support him after seeing how he manages the office.
“The people of Texas will see a Comptroller who is a strong advocate and an alert watchdog looking out for their interests and safeguarding their tax dollars,” said Huffines.
Looking back on his primary victory, Huffines said Republican voters rewarded his longstanding calls for smaller government rather than candidates whose records fail to match their campaign promises.
“Republicans want leaders who aren’t afraid to take bold steps to make government leaner, less expensive, and more focused on its core mission,” he said.
“I’ve been fighting for smaller government and individual liberty my entire life. Voters knew my message was based on deeply held core conservative beliefs, and that authenticity was rewarded.”
