State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, a Democrat representing Austin, is running for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Asked why she is seeking the office, Eckhardt said in our candidate questionnaire: "Texans are paying more for gas, groceries, and housing than ever before—even as our state boasts one of the largest, strongest economies in the country. … It is time to ask hard questions so Texans get honest answers about where their tax dollars go."

Other candidates in the race are Don Huffines (Republican), Shehla Faizi (Green) and V. Alonzo Echevarria-Garza (Libertarian).

Candidate information

Party: "Lifelong Democrat, but I am running in this race to serve Texans regardless of party," Eckhardt said in our questionnaire.

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Education: "Double Longhorn: LBJ School of Public Affairs and UT Law," Eckhardt said in our questionnaire. She holds a bachelor's in theater from New York University (1986), a master's in public affairs and a juris doctor from the University of Texas at Austin (1998).

Family: "I am the youngest of seven, the parent of two, and owner of a couple of fur babies," Eckhardt said in our questionnaire.

Family in politics: "Among my immediate family, I am the odd-one-out in my family as the only one who pursued public office like my dad, the late Congressman Bob Eckhardt," she said in our questionnaire.

Experience and public service

Eckhardt described her occupation as "attorney and public official" in our questionnaire. She listed her offices as "… the state senator for District 14, comprising Austin and surrounding areas; previously, the Travis County Judge, Travis County Commissioner for Precinct 2, and Assistant County Attorney for Travis County."

According to her campaign website, Eckhardt was the first woman elected as Travis County judge.

Asked what accomplishments show she can handle the job, Eckhardt said in our questionnaire: "As the chief executive over Travis County, the 5th largest in the state, I cut taxes 3 times in 5 years, balanced the budget 3 times, built infrastructure on time and on budget, and oversaw a massive increase in good-paying jobs."

On the issues

Revenue estimates: Asked how she would keep the comptroller's revenue estimate accurate and free of political pressure, Eckhardt said in our questionnaire: "It involves analyzing macroeconomics, historical trends, and projecting based on the best available information about commodity pricing. … This process requires steadiness and maturity to ensure that the Legislature's ultimate budget is fiscally sound. This is not an opportunity to inject political grandstanding."

School vouchers: Asked how she would administer the state's education savings account program, Eckhardt said in our questionnaire: "I will very carefully and aggressively manage the program to ensure that contractors are complying with their obligations to the state. I will accurately and transparently report to the Legislature and to the people of Texas who is benefiting from the program a lot, a little and not at all."

Property taxes: Asked whether she supports proposals to eliminate or sharply reduce school district property taxes, Eckhardt said in our questionnaire: "Texans should not pay more taxes than necessary to fund statutory state services." She added: "Continuing this strategy is ill-advised for two reasons. First, funding property tax buydowns relies on temporary budget surpluses. … Second, Texas relies heavily on regressive property and sales taxes, which fall hardest on lower-income residents."

Economic development incentives: Asked about changes to state incentives, Eckhardt said in our questionnaire: "The state abates a tremendous amount of potential revenue through a myriad of sales tax exemptions. … As Comptroller I would analyze all of the tax exemptions and submit a report to the Legislature on their effectiveness going forward."

Four candidates are on the ballot for the seat.