Texans seeking insight into the state’s economic and demographic landscape have a new resource at their fingertips, thanks to a recent initiative from the Texas comptroller’s office. On October 3, 2025, acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock unveiled the TEXSTATS Dashboard during a visit to Tyler, Texas—a move he says is all about making crucial data more accessible to everyone from city officials to business owners and everyday citizens.
“I want to provide the accessibility of the information that we have to cities, counties, regionals, you know, chambers and outside businesses thinking about moving to Tyler,” Hancock explained during his announcement, according to KETK. For Hancock, who stepped into the comptroller’s role in June 2025, the mission is clear: break down barriers to information and empower communities to make informed decisions.
The TEXSTATS Dashboard, now live on the Texas comptroller’s website, aggregates a decade’s worth of data from federal sources. Users can explore statistics on education, population growth, healthcare access, and even the strength of various industries and trade activity. The dashboard’s broad scope makes it a potential game-changer for local governments, healthcare leaders, researchers, and businesses looking to better serve East Texas and beyond.
“We provide this information online where they can access it and they can learn about education in the area,” Hancock said. “They can learn about population growth in the area. They can learn all the demographics as well.” The goal, Hancock’s team says, is to give stakeholders reliable, up-to-date information so they can address community needs more effectively.
Will Counihan, the comptroller’s Data Analysis Director, underscored the value of putting this data in the hands of local leaders. “I really felt like if I could give people the data that they needed, you know, at the local level, that they could then take that data and use it to do good for their communities,” Counihan told KETK.
It’s a timely rollout in a state where transparency and efficiency in government have become hot topics—especially with a contested election for the comptroller’s office on the horizon. Just a day before Hancock’s announcement, longtime Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick declared her candidacy for Texas comptroller, aiming to succeed Glenn Hegar, who recently became chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
Craddick, who spent nearly 13 years at the Railroad Commission, is campaigning on a platform of transparency, efficiency, and accountability. She’s taking on Hancock and former state Senator Don Huffines in the March 2026 Republican primary, and she’s not shy about her ambitions for the office.
During a visit to her hometown of Midland, Craddick laid out her vision for the agency, telling local reporters, “The agency needs to be more transparent. [Texans] need to know where the money comes in and where it goes out.” Her campaign motto—"audit everything"—signals an aggressive approach to oversight and public accountability.
Craddick pledged to restore audit practices first put in place by former comptrollers John Sharp and Susan Combs, promising to launch a Local Government Efficiency Task Force. This new unit would review city, school district, and special-purpose entity budgets across Texas. Her aim? “Make all the data available to the community so voters can make better decisions when a bond comes up,” she said.
Importantly, Craddick emphasized that these audits aren’t about forcing changes on local entities. Instead, she sees them as tools to help cities and school districts manage their finances more effectively. “I’m hearing some things from the Comptroller’s office that some audits are taking five years,” Craddick noted. “We need audits that are timely and effective. I’ll give authority to auditors, just as I did to Railroad Commission inspectors, to conduct audits if necessary.”
Her track record at the Railroad Commission is a central pillar of her campaign. Under her leadership, she says, the agency slashed permitting times from 90 days to just 48 hours. “Just as she improved efficiency at the Railroad Commission—for example, reducing permitting times from 90 days to 48 hours—Craddick plans to launch a full audit of the comptroller’s office and state spending, overhauling outdated systems so Texans get faster and better results,” reported the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
Should she win the March primary and go on to prevail in the November general election, Craddick says she’s confident she’ll leave the Railroad Commission in good hands. But for now, her focus is squarely on the comptroller’s office and what she sees as a pressing need for reform.
The upcoming primary is shaping up to be a lively contest. Hancock, as acting comptroller, has the advantage of incumbency and is already making moves to modernize the office with tools like the TEXSTATS Dashboard. Huffines, a former state senator with a reputation for fiscal conservatism, adds another layer of competition, ensuring that the race will be closely watched by political observers and voters alike.
For Texans, the stakes are high. The comptroller’s office isn’t just responsible for managing the state’s finances; it’s also a key player in providing the data and analysis that inform everything from local school funding to economic development initiatives. With both Hancock and Craddick touting transparency and efficiency—but offering different approaches—the March 2026 primary will offer voters a clear choice about the future direction of the office.
Meanwhile, everyday Texans and local leaders are already benefiting from the increased access to information. The TEXSTATS Dashboard, which is freely available online, promises to make it easier for communities to track trends, identify needs, and plan for the future. Whether it’s a healthcare administrator looking at access trends, a business owner scouting new markets, or a city council member preparing for a bond election, the data is now just a click away.
As Will Counihan put it, “I really felt like if I could give people the data that they needed, you know, at the local level, that they could then take that data and use it to do good for their communities.” That’s a sentiment echoed by both Hancock and Craddick, even as they gear up to face each other at the ballot box.
With election season heating up and debates over transparency and fiscal management front and center, Texas voters are sure to have plenty to consider in the months ahead. But for now, one thing is clear: access to information is no longer a luxury—it’s a fundamental part of how Texans will shape their communities, their schools, and their state’s future.
