AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick and former state Sen. Don Huffines have announced bids to run for the position of state comptroller.

The comptroller is the state’s chief tax collector, accountant, revenue estimator, treasurer and purchasing manager.

Craddick is currently the chair of the Texas Railroad Commission. The Midland native has served on the commission for over a decade. 

Huffines is a former Republican state senator and businessman from Dallas. He unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Greg Abbott in the 2022 primary and pushed the governor to reopen the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On his campaign website, Huffines has said he will “DOGE Texas by exposing waste, fraud, and abuse in government.” He pledged to spend $10 million on his campaign efforts.

“The state of Texas spends more than $450 million a day, seven days a week. Right now, wasteful spending runs unchecked—Texans deserve a watchdog, not a rubber stamp,” a statement on Huffines’ website reads.

Their bid announcements come after the Texas A&M Board of Regents named Glenn Hegar the sole finalist for chancellor of the university system. Hegar has served as comptroller for nearly a decade.

Abbott hasn’t made his pick for who will succeed Hegar, the Texas Tribune reports.

The next election for Texas comptroller is on Nov. 3, 2026.