Get PolitiFact in your inbox.

Susan Combs knows the Truth-O-Meter

Susan Combs waves after her 2007 swearing-in as Texas state comptroller (Austin American-Statesman, Deborah Cannon). Susan Combs waves after her 2007 swearing-in as Texas state comptroller (Austin American-Statesman, Deborah Cannon).

Susan Combs waves after her 2007 swearing-in as Texas state comptroller (Austin American-Statesman, Deborah Cannon).

By W. Gardner Selby May 29, 2013

Susan Combs, the second-term state comptroller who has said she won’t seek re-election in 2014, has a PolitiFact record.

That’s not so for several officeholders reported to be considering bids to succeed her.

Combs’ PolitiFact report card is topped by looks at her flawed claims about 2011 cuts in public education funding and state egg inspections. In addition, we twice flagged Combs on the Flip-O-Meter, concluding that she flip-flopped on abortion and per advancing money for a Formula One race. See her full report card here.

Two possible Republican aspirants for state comptroller--2010 gubernatorial hopeful Debra Medina and state Sen. Glenn Hegar of Katy--have each met the Truth-O-Meter. State Sen. Tommy Williams of the Woodlands and state Rep. Harvey Hildebran of Kerrville have yet to have claims put to the test. Likewise, former state Rep. Raul Torres has no PolitiFact report card, though we came across an October 2012 run at checking his claims published by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

Medina has the more extensive report card. She’s drawn ratings from Mostly True to False.

We checked Hegar during the 2011 session, rating as False his published claim that Texans eat more catfish than residents of all other states combined. Not only did Texans not eat more catfish than the whole rest of the country, they ate less, per person, as of 2005 than residents in four other southern states.

What do you hear out there?

Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter

Our Sources

See Truth-O-Meter and Flip-O-Meter articles to the right.

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by W. Gardner Selby

Susan Combs knows the Truth-O-Meter