Congrats, now try not to screw it up.
Glenn Hegar
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar will be the next chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, overseeing 11 universities that educate more than 157,000 students and eight state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
The Board of Regents selected Hegar on Friday to succeed Chancellor John Sharp, who has held the job since 2011 and is slated to retire in June. The vote was unanimous.
Hegar is inheriting the system’s reins at an inflection point as Republican leaders scrutinize what they see as progressive policies and curriculum in higher education. He’ll have to contend with continued accusations that public universities are violating the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and navigate intensifying threats to academic freedom.
“The board is confident that Glenn Hegar is ready to usher in the next era of excellence at The Texas A&M University System,” Bill Mahomes, chair of the board of regents, wrote in a statement after the vote. “Hegar grasps the unique breadth and depth of the System’s impact on every corner of Texas through its eight state agencies and 11 universities. We, as members of the Board of Regents, are eager to see what he will accomplish.”
In a statement of his own, Hegar thanked the regents for their confidence.
“Texas A&M will remain focused on our core values, increasing and improving student experiences, and expanding economic opportunities and services across our system and our state,” he said,.”Gig ’em!”
The board’s selection of Hegar as sole finalist triggers a 21-day mandatory waiting period before a final appointment can be made.
Hegar has been more or less competent as Comptroller, which is about the nicest thing I can say about any current statewide official. His main task at the new gig will be trying to keep it from getting completely hamstrung by anti-DEI insanity. Good luck with that.
Among other things, this means that there will be the need for a new Comptroller. Greg Abbott will get to pick someone, who will then be up for election next year. The wannabes are already liming up.
Texas Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick and former GOP state Sen. Don Huffines announced Friday they are running for comptroller, minutes after the office’s current occupant, Glenn Hegar, was named chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
Hegar’s impending departure from the comptroller’s seat creates a rare opening for one of Texas’ coveted statewide offices, most of which have remained occupied for the last decade.
[…]
Huffines, a businessman and GOP donor who challenged Abbott unsuccessfully in the 2022 gubernatorial primary, pledged to spend at least $10 million on his comptroller bid. If elected, he said, “I will DOGE Texas by exposing waste, fraud, and abuse in government to increase efficiency and put every penny we save into property tax relief.”
Craddick, a Republican, has served on the oil-and-gas-regulating Texas Railroad Commission since 2012. She easily cruised to reelection last year, winning another six-year term through the end of 2030. She will not have to give up her seat on the commission to run for comptroller.
Craddick, an attorney from Midland, is the daughter of Rep. Tom Craddick, a former House speaker.
“Serving for more than a decade as Railroad Commissioner has uniquely prepared me to help Texas build upon its momentum as the economic engine of the United States,” Christi Craddick said in a statement. She added that during her time on the commission, “we have managed our work with efficiency, transparency, and common sense, reflecting the bedrock principles the Texas economy has been built upon.”
Craddick would be terrible, but she can probably add and subtract, so there’s likely a limit to how terrible she’d be. Huffines would be a Hegseth/RFK/Gabbard-level disaster, with the risk of creating a sinkhole that might take most of the Capitol area with it. Given that he actually ran against Abbott in the 2022 primary, you’d think he’d be aware that he’s not going to be on any short lists. But if he had that level of self-awareness, he wouldn’t be Don Huffines. The Chron has more.