Republican State Sen Kelly Hancock resigned from the Texas Senate and was hired to be the Chief Clerk at the Texas Comptroller’s office on Thursday.
By Jeremy Wallace
Three statewide primary battles already getting negative.
Texas Republicans are heading into their most competitive GOP primary season for statewide office in over a decade, with hot races for three major statewide battles already turning bitter.
Primary battles for the U.S. Senate, attorney general and state comptroller are already simmering even though the March 2026 elections are still nine months away.
State Comptroller
On Thursday, state Sen. Kelly Hancock resigned from the Legislature and announced he was running to be the next state comptroller. He is hoping to replace current officeholder Glenn Hegar, who is leaving the post to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. It’s the first race for comptroller without an incumbent since 2014.
Read more at Houston Chronicle.
By Jeremy Wallace
The battle over who will implement Gov. Greg Abbott’s private school voucher plan is suddenly becoming one of the hottest battles in Texas GOP politics.
On Thursday, state Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, officially resigned his position in the Legislature and announced he would run for Texas Comptroller, a post that will be in charge of developing and administering Abbott’s school voucher program. The office also acts as the state’s chief financial officer in charge of collecting taxes and forecasting the state’s financial condition.
Shortly before announcing his campaign, current State Comptroller Glenn Hegar officially appointed Hancock to be his chief clerk, positioning him to be the acting comptroller when Hegar leaves to become the Texas A&M University System chancellor on July 1. That could give Hancock an edge over other prominent GOP candidates who have been running for the position.
Read more at Houston Chronicle.
By Katharine Finnerty
TEXAS — A North Texas state senator has stepped down from his role to take a senior position at the state comptroller’s office. Afterwards, he announced he was running for state comptroller.
What You Need To Know
Former Texas Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, was sworn in Thursday as chief clerk to outgoing Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who will leave office at the end of June to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
On July 1, Hancock will take over as interim comptroller.
“This office exists to serve every Texas taxpayer—and that’s a responsibility I take seriously. Comptroller Hegar has set a high bar for excellence in fiscal stewardship, and I’m committed to upholding that standard,” said Hancock in a statement on X.
Read more at Spectrum News 1.
Highlights Hancock’s Impeccable Conservative Credentials
AUSTIN – In Case You Missed It, within minutes of former Senator Hancock launching his formal campaign for Comptroller, Governor Greg Abbott endorsed him for this vital position.
In his statement, Governor Abbott listed several reasons for his endorsement including his strong conservative credentials stating:
“He [Hancock] passed a law to impose a state spending cap. He’s funded border security, cut property taxes, strengthened election integrity, and overhauled ERCOT. He has done more than just talk about cutting red tape; he passed laws that actually do it. He also built a successful family-run business from the ground up.”
In a video highlighting this endorsement, Hancock thanked the Governor for his endorsement and highlighted his impeccable record on border security:
“As the Chairman for the Veterans Affairs and Border Security committee in the Senate I was proud to work alongside Governor Abbott and President Trump to help build the Texas border wall, support Operation Lone Star, and stop illegal immigration.”
To view the video, click here or on the image below:
State Senator Kelly Hancock of Tarrant County has been officially named the acting state comptroller, following the selection by outgoing Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar.
Hancock resigned as state senator and was appointed to be the chief clerk of the comptroller’s office.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar finalized the appointment of former state senator Kelly Hancock as his new Chief Clerk. Comptroller Hegar is leaving the office at the end of June to become the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
Now that Hancock has resigned from his State Senate seat in Tarrant County, there is an opening. Gov. Abbott will soon call for a special election. Republican State Rep. Nate Schatzline of Fort Worth said he’s considering running for the seat.
By Brad Johnson
Kelly Hancock launched his long-rumored bid for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Now-former state Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) announced his bid for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts shortly after joining the agency as an employee — a way to get around the constitutional obstacles related to a direct appointment.
He is the third candidate in the race, joining former state Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas) and Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick.
Below is a transcription of The Texan’s interview with Hancock about the race, his time in the Legislature, and the transition to a new job. It has been lightly edited for readability.
Now-former Sen. Kelly Hancock, congratulations on the run. You just jumped into the comptroller’s race today and, of course, started as chief clerk at the comptroller’s office. How’s the first day going with the new job?
Well, I got Gov. Greg Abbott’s endorsement. It’s not a bad start.
Why run for this office, and what do you bring to the table in this campaign?
I am a financial guy, and it’s what I focused on all along; I served on the Senate Finance Committee. And Texas is a great state. There’s a lot going on, and I’ve got a good history [in the Legislature]: ten years working on the budget from one side and years on the Legislative Budget Board. We of course passed the most conservative spending cap the state’s ever had. But there’s a lot going on. It’s an exciting place right now.
When you look at federal funds coming back on border security — potentially — we’ve got to make sure that with all that border money we continue to secure the border, while making sure we don’t pay twice for things. And that we use federal dollars when we can, so we’re not using Texas taxpayer dollars. Other things are broadband expansion and the opioid settlement, but the big thing now is education savings accounts (ESAs). With my 13 years on the school board and all the other experience, it’s just a really good fit. And I like good challenges, and I’m excited about it.
Read more at The Texan.
