Susan Combs

Susan Combs (born February 26, 1945) is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Texas, who served from 2007 to 2015 as the state's Comptroller of Public Accounts. Prior to her tenure as Comptroller, Combs had served two terms as Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture from 1999–2007, taking the reins as the first woman elected to that office in 1998. Combs also served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives.

Combs was born in San Antonio. She grew up in a ranching family in West Texas. She runs a cow-calf operation on her family's ranch in Brewster County; the ranch has been in her family since the turn of the 20th century. She lives in Austin with her husband, Joe W. Duran (born June 1, 1942), a computer scientist. She is the mother of three sons. Combs graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, majoring in French and religion. She worked in international advertising in New York City, in the financial markets on Wall Street, and for the U.S. government before returning to Texas to obtain credentials from the University of Texas Law School at Austin. After graduation from law school, she served as an assistant district attorney in Dallas, Texas.

Combs' first electoral outing was for the 47th legislative district, in Travis County. She won the Republican runoff election by seven votes over intraparty challenger Bill Welch. Combs polled 2,279 votes (50.07 percent) to Welch's 2,272 (49.92 percent). The two had led a five-candidate field in the primary. In the general election, Combs handily defeated the Democrat Jimmy Day, 45,355 (65.4 percent) to 23,987 (34.6 percent). Combs served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 1993–1996, resigning midway in her second term to join the staff of U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison as the lawmaker's state director. She was succeeded by fellow Republican Patty Keel of Austin.

She served as the Texas Agriculture Commissioner from 1999 to 2007, being the first woman to serve in the position. She succeeded Rick Perry as commissioner, who was instead elected as lieutenant governor.

Combs was initially elected as Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to succeed Carole Strayhorn, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for governor as an Independent in the same election. Combs served as comptroller from 2007 to 2015. In 2010, Combs was unopposed for a second term as comptroller in the Republican primary, and she faced no Democratic opponent in the November 2 general election. Unsuccessful nominees of the Green and Libertarian parties did seek the position. Combs did not seek reelection to a third term as Comptroller or any other statewide office in the 2014 elections.

After leaving state politics in 2015, Combs launched the Texas Smart Schools Initiative, intended for parents and officials as a data-driven approach to show which public schools and districts are achieving the highest student performance for the lowest cost. The material, arranged on a five-star scale, was made available without charge at investment. It is funded from her leftover campaign contributions. "Public education is one of the largest items in the state budget; so Texans need to know where their dollars are getting the highest return in terms of student performance," Combs said.

Combs served on the boards of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in Fort Worth and the Texas Wildlife Association. She has also served on the boards the Texas Beef Council and the Texas Production Credit Association.

In 2016, Combs launched "HERdacity" a "nonprofit online platform and mobile app" intended to "give women with shared interests and career ambitions a forum to exchange ideas and offer each other support>." In addition, she wrote a memoir entitled Texas Tenacity.