Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock has announced his resignation from the position of Texas’ chief financial officer, effective at the end of July. This decision, conveyed in a letter to Governor Greg Abbott, comes exactly one year after Hancock assumed the role, following the departure of former Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who transitioned to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
During his tenure, Hancock played a pivotal role in initiating Texas’ $1 billion program aimed at providing parents with vouchers to enroll their children in private schools. This initiative, known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts, has quickly become one of the agency’s most significant responsibilities.
In a social media statement, Governor Abbott praised Hancock’s leadership during this critical period for Texas, highlighting that his extensive experience—from serving on a local school board to his time in the Texas Legislature—was instrumental in launching the largest school choice program in the nation. Abbott noted that this expansion of educational options has greatly benefited Texas families.
In his resignation letter, Hancock emphasized the successful rollout of the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, which began disbursing funds to parents recently. He credited the swift implementation of the program to the proactive approach he fostered within the Comptroller’s office, ensuring that operations moved “at the speed of business rather than the speed of bureaucracy.”
A Republican from North Richland Hills, Hancock previously ran for a full term as Comptroller but was defeated in the primary election by Don Huffines, an ultraconservative businessman and former Senate colleague. Despite his departure, Hancock expressed confidence that the agency would continue to serve Texans effectively and maintain continuity in its ongoing work, stating that he believes Huffines will build upon the foundation laid during his term.
Huffines is set to face Democratic state Senator Sarah Eckhardt from Austin in the upcoming general election.
Hancock’s resignation marks the end of a notable chapter in his public service career, which began as a school board member and included nearly two decades in the Texas Legislature, where he served in both the House and the Senate. His exit from the Senate opened the door for a special election that resulted in a Democrat winning a traditionally Republican district, igniting discussions about potential shifts in voter sentiment ahead of the fall midterm elections.
The upcoming November election will not only determine Hancock’s successor as Comptroller—an essential role responsible for managing Texas’ $337 billion budget and tax collection—but also shape the financial future of a state that generates over a quarter trillion dollars in revenue each year.
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