For the first time in a decade, Illinois is choosing a new comptroller, and residents can be forgiven if they don’t know precisely what that entails.
Current Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced last year she would not seek reelection to her position, paving the way for a quartet of Democrats to run in the primary to be the party’s nominee to replace her.
The question voters may have is this: what is it exactly that the comptroller does, and who will they see on their primary ballots this March?
Here’s what to know.
What is a comptroller?
According to the state of Illinois, the state’s comptroller is the chief “fiscal control officer.” The state’s Constitution requires the comptroller to maintain Illinois’ fiscal accounts and to order payments into and out of the various appropriated funds approved by the General Assembly.
That workload is immense, with the comptroller’s office handling more than 15 million transactions in fiscal year 2025 according to Mendoza’s office.
In addition to making those payments, the comptroller is required to generate reports on what bills have been paid and which remain outstanding, and how much state employees are earning and spending .
Who is running for comptroller?
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, there are four Democrats actively running for the party’s nomination for comptroller, while the Republican candidate is running unopposed.
Democrats:
Margaret Croke
Croke is currently representing Illinois’ 12th district in the State House, and has registered several big-time endorsements for her campaign, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
As part of her campaign platform, Croke has pledged to implement software that shows “the full lifecycle” of every single dollar allocated and spent from the state’s budget, according to her website.
She also has pledged to modernize contract systems for state vendors, to continue pushing the governor’s office to maintain balanced budgets, and to increase enforcement of the Prevailing Wage Act.
Stefanie Kifowit
Kifowit represents Illinois’ 84th district in the State House, and has also picked up several big-time endorsements for her campaign, including from the Daily Herald and Rep. Danny Davis.
On her website, Kifowit touted her work as a registered financial advisor, helping review comptroller’s office expenditures during her time in the legislature. She also has pushed for legislation to curb spending while protecting services for vulnerable Illinoisans, according to her website.
A Marine Corps veteran, Kifowit also pledged to continue helping veterans access their benefits, to ensure programs are adequately funded and spending their money properly, and to push for additional funding for mental health programs.
Holly Kim
Lake County’s treasurer, Kim has touted her variety of experience in both the public and private sectors of the economy, and earned the endorsement of Mendoza in this year’s primary.
Kim’s office handles more than $3 billion in expenditures each year according to her website, and she has pledged to continue serving as an independent voice for those concerned about the state’s finances, working with legislators on both sides of the aisle.
Her aim is to modernize the department, to protect taxpayer money and to make sure that money is utilized to its full effect for state residents.
Karina Villa
A state Senator in Illinois’ 25th district, Villa previously worked as a social worker at area schools, and ultimately ran for school board in her area to begin balancing its budgets, according to her campaign biography.
Since launching her campaign Villa has secured support from numerous members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation, including Reps. Lauren Underwood and Delia Ramirez, and earned the support of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Her campaign platform includes pledges to safeguard taxpayer dollars from intrusions by the administration of President Donald Trump, and to address what she calls Illinois’ “regressive” tax system, which she says is one of the most unfair in the nation.
Finally, she pledged that vendors working with ICE will not receive any Illinois funds under her watch.
Republicans:
Bryan Drew
Drew is an attorney and restaurant owner who has served on a variety of boards, including the Rend Lake College board of trustees, according to his website.
His platform emphasizes reducing government spending by reining in waste and fraud at the state level, and to ensure that no tax dollar is unaccounted for.
He has also pledged to hold public officials accountable for misusing government resources, and to use technology and other avenues to increase transparency so that taxpayers know exactly where their money is going.
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