Carole Stewart Keeton (born September 13, 1939), formerly known as Carole Keeton McClellan, Carole Keeton Rylander and Carole Keeton Strayhorn, is an American politician and the former Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Elected to the comptroller's post in 1998 as a Republican, Keeton ran as an independent candidate for Texas governor against Republican incumbent Rick Perry in 2006. She lost the November general election to Perry and placed third in a six-way race, with 18 percent. In May 2009, Keeton lost her campaign for Mayor of Austin.