Carole Keeton, a trailblazing Texas politician who was the primary girl elected for the roles of mayor of Austin and state comptroller, died Wednesday. She was 85.
Keeton, previously generally known as Carole Keeton Strayhorn, died surrounded by her household in Austin, in accordance with an obituary. A devoted Austinite, Keeton was born and raised within the metropolis and attended the College of Texas at Austin. She served on the board of trustees for Austin Unbiased College District earlier than changing into town’s first feminine mayor in 1977, serving three phrases.
“Mother achieved a lot in life on behalf of others as a result of she cared deeply about making a distinction and enhancing the lives of households and people from all walks,” an announcement from her 4 sons, Mark, Dudley, Bradley and Scott Mclellan mentioned. “Her tireless dedication and talent to get issues executed have been unmatched.”
She went on to serve two phrases as Texas Comptroller, from 1999 to early 2007, working as a Republican. In 2006, towards the tip of her tenure as comptroller, Keeton ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial marketing campaign as an impartial towards former Gov. Rick Perry, the place she referred to herself as “one robust grandma.”
Keeton additionally ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Home District 10 in 1986 as a Republican in addition to for a fourth time period as Austin mayor in 2009. She served a single time period in 1994 as a member of the Texas Railroad Fee.
“She was a strong persona that stuffed a room and pushed individuals to consider the long run but in addition made you giggle on the drop of a hat,” Austin mayor Kirk Watson mentioned in an interview with the Austin American-Statesman on Wednesday.
