Hegar gained prominence in 2022 as the gatekeeper to the Texas's $330 billion in investment assets,following a letter he sent to more than 100 of the world's largest financial firms demanding that they make clear whether they restrict business with the fossil-fuel industry. If so,they would risk getting shut out of working with the fastest-growing US state.[6]
On March 7,2025,Hegar was selected by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents as the lone finalist for Chancellor. Hegar will succeed the retiring Chancellor,John Sharp,on or after June 30,2025.[7] The board formally approved him in a unanimous vote on April 2,2025.[8]
Texas Legislature
Hegar was elected to the Texas House in 2002[1] and served in District 28.[4] He won re-election in 2004.[1]
He was elected to the Texas Senate in 2006[1] and was re-elected in 2010 and 2012.[1] Hegar resigned from the Senate on December 5,2014,after his election as Texas Comptroller.[3]
Hegar faced three opponents for the Republican nomination for state comptroller: State Representative Harvey Hilderbran of Kerrville, Debra Medina of Wharton, an activist with the Tea Party movement, and former State Representative Raul Torres of Corpus Christi. Hegar finished with 610,512 votes (49.99 percent), but Hildebran opted to forgo a runoff election, thus giving Hegar the party's nomination.[9] Hilderbran polled 317,731 votes (26.01 percent). Debra Medina finished third with 235,713 votes (19.3 percent), and Raul Torres polled 57,255 votes (4.7 percent).[10]
Hegar, with 58.4 percent of the vote, defeated the Democratic nominee Mike Collier, a businessman from Houston, in the November 4 general election.[3][9]
Hegar was unopposed in the 2018 Republican primary and won election to a second term in the 2018 general election.
In 2021, Hegar proposed to weaken the rules for transparency and accountability for the biggest corporate tax break program in Texas., Chapter 313.[11]
Hegar faced Mark V. Goloby in the primary but won easily, then won election to a third term in the 2022 general election by larger margins than the 2018 election.
Political positions
Hegar is a conservative, who says he seeks to defend "the values of faith, family, and freedom".[12]
Hegar opposes abortion. Texas Right to Life awarded him the "Perfectly Pro-Life Award".[13] In the 83rd Legislative Session in 2013, Hegar was the author of Texas Senate Bill 5 and introduced the bill into the Senate.[14] The Texas House passed the bill on July 10, 2013, by a 96–49 margin and sent the measure to the Texas Senate.[15] The Texas Senate passed the bill on July 13, 2013, with a bipartisan vote of nineteen to eleven.[16][17][18] The bill was signed by Governor Rick Perry on July 18, 2013.[19] The bill was a list of measures that would add and update abortion regulations in Texas. Major sections of the law were struck down in the United States Supreme Court case Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.
He twice denied the compensation to Dewayne Brown for wrongful conviction despite a court ruling of him being innocent.[20][21]
Chancellor of the Texas A&M University-System
On July 1, 2024, Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) Chancellor John Sharp announced his retirement in a letter submitted to the system's Board of Regents.[22] Following an extensive search, the Board of Regents unanimously approved Hegar as the lone finalist to become the system's next Chancellor.
Following the vote, Board of Regents chair Bill Mahomes said in a statement: “The Board is confident that Glenn Hegar is ready to usher in the next era of excellence at The Texas A&M University System, 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.”[7]
The selection is the first step towards eventual confirmation. Hegar's selection triggers a 21-day mandatory waiting period before the board can officially designate Hegar as Sharp's successor to the chancellorship. Once designated, Hegar is expected to take office on or after Sharp's retirement on June 30.[7]
Election history
2022
Texas general election, 2022: Texas Comptroller
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±
Republican
Glenn Hegar
4,496,319
56.39
4.19
Democratic
Janet T. Dudding
3,265,069
40.95
(2.45)
Libertarian
V. Alonzo Echevarria-Garza
212,205
2.66
(0.74)
Majority
1,231,250
15.44
5.64
Turnout
7,973,593
Republican hold
Republican primary, 2022: Texas Comptroller
Candidate
Votes
%
±
Glenn Hegar
1,386,782
81.69
Mark V. Goloby
310,829
18.31
Majority
1,075,953
63.38
Turnout
1,697,611
2018
Hagar was unopposed in the 2018 Texas Republican Primary election.
Texas general election, 2018: Texas Comptroller
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±
Republican
Glenn Hegar
4,356,562
53.2
n/a
Democratic
Joi Chevalier
3,548,034
43.4
n/a
Libertarian
Ben Sanders
279,676
3.4
n/a
Majority
808,528
9.8
n/a
Turnout
8,184,272
Republican hold
2014
Texas general election, 2014: Texas Comptroller
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±
Republican
Glenn Hegar
2,698,682
58.38
-24.78
Democratic
Mike Collier
1,742,250
37.69
n/a
Libertarian
Ben Sanders
136,884
2.96
-7.54
Green
Deb Shafto
44,985
0.97
-5.37
Majority
956,432
20.69
-51.97
Turnout
4,622,801
Republican hold
Republican primary, 2014: Texas Comptroller
Candidate
Votes
%
±
Glenn Hegar
612,269
49.99
Harvey Hilderbran
318,899
26.04
Debra Medina
236,531
19.31
Raul Torres
56,937
4.65
Majority
293,370
23.96
Turnout
1,224,636
NOTE: Hildebran opted to forgo the runoff election; thus, Hegar advanced to the general election as the Republican nominee.
Born to teenage parents, Hegar is a sixth-generation Texan who farms on the 4,000-acre (1,600ha) land that has been in his family since the mid-19th century.[6] He grew up in Hockley, also in Harris County.[4] Hegar met his wife Dara while attending St. Mary's University. He with his wife Dara, and their three children live in Katy,[4] where they attend St. Peter's United Methodist Church.[1][12] Hegar highlighted his wife and children in most of his television commercials in the race for comptroller.[citation needed]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
