Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar has decided to leave his job after more than a decade in the position. Hegar will be stepping into a new role as the next chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. The Board of Regents named him as the sole finalist for the position on Friday.
In a press release, Hegar called the opportunity a “tremendous honor” and expressed his eagerness to start.
“I am excited about the possibilities in front of us, and I am committed to working with the Board of Regents, faculty, staff, and students to build on the System’s legacy of excellence,” said Hegar.
In his new job, he will oversee 11 universities and eight state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
The state comptroller position is essentially in charge of collecting and managing the state’s money. They collect the taxes, estimate future revenues, write checks and are the one in control of the books for the state.
Hegar, a Republican from Houston, was originally elected for the job in 2014. Before that, he had served in the Texas Senate since 2007 after fulfilling two terms in the House of Representatives.
Who’s next in line for the Texas comptroller position?
Exactly when Hegar will be leaving was not announced. But with the A&M University Board of Regents making him the sole chancellor finalist, the board now has 21 days to make its final appointment.
Gov. Greg Abbott will now need to decide who will fill out Hegar’s term once the move is made final. Whomever he chooses will serve until the next general election. It already appears that it’ll be a packed race, with multiple people signaling they’d want to run for the position.
Christi Craddick, chair of the Railroad Commission of Texas, announced Friday that she plans to run for Texas comptroller. Craddick was reelected for a 6-year term in November.
Also getting in the race is former Texas State Senator Don Huffines, a Republican from Dallas. He spent four years in the Texas Senate before losing his reelection campaign in 2018. Huffines ran for governor in 2022, but was easily defeated in the primaries by Gov. Greg Abbott.