Three state lawmakers, a county treasurer seek to replace Illinois comptroller in Democratic primary
Three state lawmakers and a county treasurer are seeking the Illinois comptroller’s seat Tuesday in the Democratic primary.
State Reps. Margaret Croke and Stephanie Kifowit, state Sen. Karina Villa, and Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim are vying to replace Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who announced last year she would not seek re-election.
Mendoza has served as the state’s chief financial officer since 2016. She endorsed Kim, 45, of Mundelein, as her replacement.
Croke, however, has the largest campaign war chest, according to recent state filings. She raised $1.8 million, just slightly more than Villa, who raised $1.4 million. Billionaire business executive Michael Sacks has been Croke’s largest funder, providing nearly $160,000 to her campaign.
In other campaign filings, Kifowit and Kim each raised more than $400,000.
Croke, 33, of Lincoln Park, also has picked up support from key party members. She earned endorsements from Gov. JB Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, the Cook County Democratic Party, as well as several other state, city and county officials. Croke also has endorsements from several labor unions and banks.
Croke worked as a deputy chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity before becoming a lawmaker. She’s worked on the campaigns of Pritzker and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
If elected, Croke said she would consider revamping the comptroller’s vendor payment program, which expedites overdue payments to state vendors through financial institutions that later collect the money from the state. She also said the state needs to take advantage of any federal grants still available.
Villa, 47, from West Chicago, boasts support from far-left progressive U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont. The former school social worker is backed by the Chicago Teachers Union, which has donated about $110,000 to her campaign.
She also carries endorsements from U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, outgoing U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon.
Villa said she would prioritize distributing money for human services and public health, then for payrolls, schools and local governments, before other payments. She has made a point to create an accountability program that would ensure the state does not contract with vendors linked to federal immigration authorities like the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Kifowit, a 54-year-old Marine veteran from Oswego, has the most experience in state government among the four candidates, having served in the statehouse for the past 13 years. Kifowit also served 10 years in the Aurora City Council and was a financial advisor prior to then.
That experience, especially through the state’s budget impasse during former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s tenure, sets herself apart in the race, Kifowit has said.
But Kim, whose role as county treasurer includes the same tasks the state comptroller performs, has said she’s the only candidate who is “already doing the job.”
Kim and Kifowit both outlined priorities to expand the comptroller office’s prevailing wage department, which ensures contractors on state-funded projects pay workers a wage comparable to the standard rates in the respective industry.
Each candidate has emphasized the importance for the state to be fiscally responsible as the Trump administration continues to cut federal funding to Illinois for various services, including social programs for food and health care.
The primary winner will likely face the lone Republican comptroller candidate, Bryan Drew, a southern Illinois attorney, in the November general election.