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State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, on Monday announced she was no longer running for Congress and would instead run for state comptroller.

The pivot, coming on the last day to file for Texas’ 2026 primaries, ends Eckhardt’s roughly monthlong campaign for the 10th Congressional District, a Republican-leaning seat that is being vacated by Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin. Eckhardt has served in the Texas Senate since 2020 and was reelected in 2024, meaning she will retain her seat if she loses the comptroller race. Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994.

At least one other Democrat has filed for comptroller: Michael Lange, an investment manager who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for land commissioner in 2022.

If elected, Eckhardt said she wants to tackle government waste and fraud as a watchdog of the state’s $337 billion budget — one of the comptroller’s main responsibilities. She pointed to her experience as Travis County judge, during which she said she delivered balanced budgets, as proof she’s the best candidate for the job.

The state comptroller collects more than a quarter trillion dollars of revenue from a variety of taxes, fees and assessments. The office is also tasked with rolling out the state’s new school voucher program to offer parents public funds to pay for private school and educational materials. Eckhardt said she would seek to apply oversight to the program.

“We don’t have time for funny business and sweetheart deals that benefit the powerful and not the people,” Eckhardt said in a statement. “We need a Comptroller who will work to ensure every dollar is used in the best interest of everyday Texans, and who is not afraid to expose state leaders when they refuse to play by the rules and deliver affordability.”

The race for the Republican nomination is more crowded. Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick, former state Sen. Don Huffines of Dallas and Interim Comptroller Kelly Hancock — also a former state senator — are all vying for the seat.

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Alejandro Serrano writes about Texas politics and government, with a focus on immigration and education issues. Since joining the Tribune, he has helped investigate the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, lived...