State Sen. Brandon Creighton expected to be sole finalist for Texas Tech chancellor

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State Sen. Brandon Creighton, the architect of major higher education reforms that banned diversity programs, limited faculty influence and tightened rules on campus protests, is poised to become the next chancellor of the Texas Tech University System.

Texas Tech Board Chair Cody Campbell said on Sunday that he expects the board to unanimously name the Conroe Republican the sole finalist for the system’s top job.

“He has been a strong voice in the fight to get our colleges and universities back on track and clearly shares the values and vision of the Texas Tech community,” Campbell wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Texas Tech stands at a pivotal crossroads and is poised to accelerate the pace of massive growth and progress that we have achieved. We are confident that Senator Creighton will continue to advance our mission of serving students, driving research, and strengthening communities across the State, and especially in West Texas. He is, unquestionably, the right person for the job, and we all look forward to working with him.”

Board Vice Chair Dustin Womble similarly posted his support, following Campbell’s message.

In a separate post on X Sunday evening, Creighton said he is honored that Texas Tech regents have expressed confidence in him.

“Serving as Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and the Budget Subcommittee has been the honor of a lifetime—especially to help deliver that success for Texas Tech and its regional universities,” he said. “I feel very blessed to have been considered for the role of Chancellor.”

State lawmakers including House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Texas Tech alum, have congratulated Creighton.

“Senator Creighton’s leadership and expertise on higher education matters will be a tremendous benefit to Texas Tech,” Burrows said.

Other Texas Tech regents could not be immediately reached for comment on Sunday.

In the last three years, Creighton, who chairs the Texas Senate’s education committee, has authored some of the most impactful legislation for Texas higher education in decades: Senate Bill 17, which bans diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public universities; Senate Bill 37, which gives governor-appointed regents more authority over university operations and limits faculty’s influence on their schools; and Senate Bill 2972, which sets new rules on when, where and how protests can take place on campuses.

Together, these measures have significantly shifted control over higher education from campus leaders to regents and state lawmakers, upending a longstanding balance of power that has traditionally given universities greater autonomy.

The Texas Conference of American Association of University Professors said Creighton's record has raised concern among some faculty.

"We have concerns about the future of academic freedom and shared governance given the positions Sen. Creighton has taken in the legislature," the group said in a statement. “Shared governance involves the trustees, the administration and the faculty all working together to support the students and institution. Academic freedom helps to bring in and retain the best faculty in the country. We hope that Texas Tech's strong tradition of shared governance and academic freedom continue to thrive so that Texas Tech can thrive."

Creighton’s appointment could strengthen Texas Tech’s political influence at the Capitol. He helped create the Texas University Fund, a $3.9 billion endowment approved by voters in 2023 that sends hundreds of millions of dollars to Texas Tech, the University of Houston, Texas State University and the University of North Texas. Lawmakers established the fund to help these schools compete with the state’s two flagship university systems, the University of Texas and Texas A&M, which draw billions in support from the Permanent University Fund, a $39.5 billion oil-and gas-funded endowment that other emerging research universities cannot access.

Creighton would be new to Raider Country. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, he earned his law degree from Oklahoma City University. He was a state representative for seven years before winning a Senate Seat in 2014, representing Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jefferson and Montgomery counties. His current term runs through January 2027. He would have to vacate his seat before then, at which point Abbott would be authorized to call a special election to fill the vacancy.

The Texas Tribune first reported on Thursday that Creighton and U.S. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, were in the running to succeed Chancellor Tedd Mitchell, who announced his retirement in July. The board met behind closed doors for four hours on Saturday and then adjourned without taking any action. The earliest the board could meet next would be Thursday. By law, the board must wait 21 days before finalizing Creighton’s appointment. If confirmed, Creighton would become the sixth chancellor since the system’s creation in 1996.

The system, based in Lubbock, includes five institutions that enrolled 69,502 students in 2024: Texas Tech University, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Angelo State University and Midwestern State University.

Creighton’s appointment is the latest in a recent string of politically connected leaders — rather than career academics — taking top roles at Texas universities. Earlier this year, former Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar became chancellor of Texas A&M University System, and former state Rep. John Zerwas became chancellor of the University of Texas System.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Texas A&M University System, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Texas Tech University System, University of Houston, University of North Texas, University of Texas System and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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