Out of Comptrol: A Converted Democrat's Improbable Quest to Save Texas Politics

Mike Collier knew he was fighting an uphill battle. A retired PwC partner and a CPA with 25 years of experience, Mike was the logical choice for Texas State Comptroller—the chief financial officer of the second largest state in America. But he stood on principle and quit the Republican Party to run as a corruption-fighting Texas Democrat in a state that only elects Republicans.

Because he dislikes intolerance and overreach, Mike successfully reached across the aisle and garnered support from Republicans and Democrats alike by campaigning on fiscal responsibility. But he lost the election to a rice farmer who was hand picked by the Republican Party, a political machine whose bad-for-Texas antics Mike brings to life through his stories from the campaign trail.

IPPY Award Winner Out of Comptrol details the difficult but exhilarating path of a modern political campaign, from the decision to try to make a difference to fundraising, stump speaking, and TV jitters. With personality and humor, Mike offers first an outsider’s and then a tenacious insider’s view of Texas politics. His excitement and frustration make Mike's experience a story you won't forget. Updated in 2019 with his take on the close race for lieutenant governor!

For many years, Mike Collier was a partner in the worldwide accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he provided audit and financial consulting services to companies in the energy industry. Mike also served as the chief financial officer of a Texas oil company. Today, Mike is a consultant in Houston, working with private equity firms investing in growing Texas companies. Mike started his career at Exxon and later moved to the audit practice of Price Waterhouse, where he earned his CPA license and worked in the Austin, Dallas, New York, and Houston offices. Mike graduated from Georgetown High School, in Central Texas, and received an undergraduate degree in Petroleum Land Management and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Suzanne have been married for almost three decades, and they have two sons who graduated from Kingwood High School before also going to UT. Mike was the Democratic nominee for Texas State Comptroller in 2014 and remains active in helping Democrats win elections and create healthy political competition in Texas.