Susan Combs

Susan Combs


Comptroller of Texas
In office January 1, 2007 – January 13, 2015
Governor	Rick Perry
Preceded by	Carole Keeton
Succeeded by	Glenn Hegar
Agriculture Commissioner of Texas
In office January 5, 1999 – January 1, 2007
Governor	George W. Bush Rick Perry
Preceded by	Rick Perry
Succeeded by	Todd Staples
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 37th district
In office January 12, 1993 – January 26, 1996
Preceded by	Libby Linebarger
Succeeded by	Patty Keel
Personal details
Born	(1945-02-26) February 26, 1945 (age 72) San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Joe Duran
Children	3 sons
Alma mater	Vassar College (BA) University of Texas, Austin (JD)
Website	Official website

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.