Susan Combs
Encyclopedia
Susan Combs is a Republican
politician
from the U.S. state
of Texas
, currently serving as the state's Comptroller of Public Accounts
.
She was initially elected as comptroller on November 7, 2006, to succeed Carole Strayhorn, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for governor
as an Independent in the same election.
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, having succeeded commissioner Rick Perry
, who was instead elected as lieutenant governor. Combs also served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives
.
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.
. 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 served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 1993–1996, when she joined the staff of U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
as the lawmaker's state director.
Combs serves 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.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, currently serving as the state's Comptroller of Public Accounts
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is an executive branch position created by the Texas Constitution. As with nearly every other executive branch head, the Comptroller is popularly elected every four years concurrently with the Governor and the other elected executive branch positions...
.
She was initially elected as comptroller on November 7, 2006, to succeed Carole Strayhorn, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
as an Independent in the same election.
Prior to her tenure as Comptroller, Combs had served two terms as Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture
Texas Department of Agriculture
The Texas Department of Agriculture is a state agency within the state of Texas, which is responsible for matters pertaining to agriculture, rural community affairs, and related matters.TDA was established by the 13th Texas Legislature in 1907...
from 1999–2007, taking the reins as the first woman elected to that office in 1998, having succeeded commissioner Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
, who was instead elected as lieutenant governor. Combs also served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
.
In 2010, Combs was unopposed for a second term as comptroller in the Republican primary, and she faced no Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
opponent in the November 2 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. Unsuccessful nominees of the Green
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
and Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
parties did seek the position.
Background
Combs grew up in a ranching family from West TexasWest Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
. She runs a cow-calf operation
Cow-calf operation
A cow-calf operation is a method of raising beef cattle in which a permanent herd of cows is kept by a farmer or rancher to produce calves for later sale. Cow-calf operations are one of the key aspects of the beef industry in the United States and some other countries. In the British Isles, a...
on her family's ranch in Brewster County
Brewster County, Texas
Brewster County is a county located in western part of the US state of Texas, along the border with Mexico. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. As of the 2000 census, the population is 8,866. In 2009, the population was estimated to be 9,481. Its...
; 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
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
in Poughkeepsie, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, majoring in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. She worked in international advertising in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, in the financial markets on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
, 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
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas.
Combs served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 1993–1996, when she joined the staff of U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
as the lawmaker's state director.
Combs serves on the boards of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association was created in 1877, when 40 Texas cattlemen joined together out of their common interest to end unbridled livestock theft and formed what was to become Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association....
in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
and the Texas Wildlife Association. She has also served on the boards the Texas Beef Council and the Texas Production Credit Association.