Strayhorn, Carole Keeton, 1939-

Carole Stewart Keeton (born September 13, 1939), formerly known as Carole Keeton McClellan, Carole Keeton Rylander and Carole Keeton Strayhorn, is an American educator and politician. She served as the 49th Mayor of Austin, Texas from 1977 to 1983, as a member of the Texas Railroad Commission from 1994 to 1999, and as the 36th Comptroller of Texas from 1999 to 2007. She was the first woman elected to each of these positions.

Born in Austin, she attended the University of Texas at Austin. She began her career as a public school teacher. As Carole Keeton McClellan, she was later elected to the Austin School Board with almost 75 percent of the vote. She also served as president of the Austin Community College Board of Trustees. She was elected mayor of Austin in 1977 and held that post until 1983. In 1983, Governor Mark White appointed Keeton to the State Board of Insurance, where she served until resigning in 1986 to challenge unsuccessfully the veteran Democratic congressman, J. J. Pickle of Austin. As Carole Keeton Rylander, she won election to the Texas Railroad Commission in 1994 by beating Democratic incumbent Mary Scott Nabers. She served as commission chairman from November 1995 to January 1997, and from June 1998 to January 1999. In 1998, Keeton entered the open race to succeed outgoing Democratic Comptroller John Sharp of Victoria, winning by some 20,000 votes out of roughly 3.6 million votes cast. Reelected in 2002, she led the statewide Republican ticket in terms of raw votes.

Soon after the 2002 election, Keeton began publicly feuding with Governor Rick Perry over what she saw as his inability to provide leadership on issues such as school finance and government spending. Keeton ran as an independent candidate for Texas governor in 2006 against Perry, ultimately placing third in the six-way race, with 18 percent. In May 2009, Keeton lost her campaign for Mayor of Austin. She continues to live in the city. Upon her passing, she will be buried in the Texas State Cemetery.