Carole Keeton Strayhorn, first woman to serve as Texas comptroller, dies at 85
Strayhorn passed surrounded by her family in Austin, according to an obituary provided by her son, Scott McClellan.
A dedicated Austinite, Keeton was born and raised in the city and attended the University of Texas at Austin. She served on the board of trustees for Austin Independent School District before becoming the city's first female mayor in 1977, serving three terms.
Strayhorn served two terms as Texas Comptroller, from 1999 to early 2007. While running as a Republican for comptroller, toward the end of her tenure she ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign as an independent against former Gov. Rick Perry during the 2006 election, where she referred to herself as 'one tough grandma.'
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