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Holly Kim

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Holly Kim
Democratic Party
Candidate, Illinois Comptroller
Elections and appointments
Next election
March 17, 2026
Education
High school
Glenbrook North High School
Bachelor's
Northeastern Illinois University
Personal
Religion
Christian
Contact
Campaign website
Campaign Facebook
Campaign Instagram
Campaign YouTube
Campaign TikTok
Personal Facebook
Personal X
Personal LinkedIn

Holly Kim (Democratic Party) is running for election for Illinois Comptroller. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 17, 2026.[source]

Kim completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Holly Kim earned a high school diploma from Glenbrook North High School and a bachelor's degree from Northeastern Illinois University. As of 2025, she was affiliated with Mano a Mano, the Hanul Family Alliance, the Illinois Asian American Caucus, the Democratic Party of Lake County, and the Fremont Township Democrats in Lake County.[1]

2026 battleground election

See also: Illinois Comptroller election, 2026 (March 17, 2026 Democratic primary)

Ballotpedia identified the March 17 Democratic primary as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election here

Four candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 17, 2026: Margaret Croke (D), Stephanie Kifowit (D), Holly Kim (D), and Karina Villa (D).

Incumbent Susana Mendoza (D), who took office in 2016, is not running for re-election. The Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson and Jeremy Gorrner wrote that Mendoza's retirement "creates a statewide office opening in the already competitive 2026 election."[2]

The state comptroller's office manages finances, pension funds, and reports on the state’s fiscal condition.[3]

Croke was elected to the state House in 2020. She is campaigning to modernize the office, and says she wants to create a system "where anyone could see where in the life cycle public dollars are from when they are appropriated... to when the Comptroller’s Office pays the bill."[4] Croke says her legislative experience makes her qualified: "We all have seen bills pass, and we’ve seen bills blow up, and it’s because of your relationships... I feel really confident about my ability to... steer the ship in the right direction.”[5]

Kifowit was elected to the state House in 2012. She is campaigning on creating a dedicated labor division to "conduct proactive, pre-payment audits of all Illinois labor laws, including state OSHA standards... to catch violations before taxpayer dollars go out the door."[6] Kifowit's website says her experience as a financial advisor and in the legislature makes her qualified: "[Stephanie] has reviewed the Comptroller’s budget, working with the Comptroller's office, almost every single year as a legislator, she knows this office inside and out."[7]

Kim was elected Lake County treasurer in 2018. She is campaigning to improve transparency in the office. In her response to Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, she said she supported "enforcing prevailing wage laws, strengthening public trust, and ensuring every dollar spent is documented."[8] Kim also says her work as treasurer gave her experience, and, in her survey responses, said that she had "hands-on experience managing billions of public dollars and staff at the executive level."[8]

Villa was elected to the state Senate in 2021. She is campaigning on ensuring that the state budget helps individuals in poverty. Her website says she would "prioritize bill payments... [to ensure] healthcare, housing, mental health services and public education remain top priority."[9] Villa is also campaigning on her experience as a legislator and social worker: "A social worker who has this background, who has the understanding, who has spent all of this time in the General Assembly combing through the budget...makes the most sense."[5]

Capitol News Illinois' Ben Szalnski wrote that the next comptroller would take office "as the state faces growing financial uncertainty."[5] Each candidate is proposing different approaches to managing state finances. Croke and Kifowit both says they want to increase the state's reserves.[5] Croke also says she would consider refinancing state pension debt, while Kifowit's website focused on cutting spending that benefits corporations.[10][7] Kim is campaigning on improving the state's credit rating and proposes instituting a progressive state income tax.[5] Villa supports raising revenue to fund social programs, and supports a progressive income tax and a digital advertising tax.[5]

Holly Kim (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.

To read more about the general election, click here.

Elections

2026

See also: Illinois Comptroller election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller

Margaret Croke, Stephanie Kifowit, Holly Kim, and Karina Villa are running in the Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 17, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Margaret Croke
Margaret Croke
Image of Stephanie Kifowit
Stephanie Kifowit
Image of Holly Kim
Holly Kim Candidate Connection
Image of Karina Villa
Karina Villa

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller

Bryan Drew is running in the Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 17, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Bryan Drew
Bryan Drew

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Kim's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia
Released August 4, 2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Holly Kim completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kim's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Currently serving her second term as Lake County Treasurer, Holly Kim is the only prospective candidate with hands-on experience managing billions of public dollars and staff at the executive level. Under her leadership, the Treasurer’s office has modernized systems, increased transparency, and implemented innovative, community-centered investment strategies. Kim would make history as the first Asian American elected to a statewide constitutional office in Illinois. The highest vote getter as a countywide executive in Lake County, Holly Kim is dedicated to bringing her Democratic values to support all people across the state.
  • Leading with Experience - As Lake County Treasurer, she has brought bold leadership, innovative problem-solving, and a relentless commitment to public service. Her background spans public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She has served as a Village Trustee, Township Director, and nonprofit board leader, and currently serves as a Commissioner for the Bank On Illinois initiative under the Illinois Comptroller’s Office. Her office processes and cuts $73.5 million in checks, and 2.8 billion in ACH distributions demonstrating a core function of the Comptroller’s role. Holly understands how money moves through government and how to ensure it is tracked, protected, and used responsibly.
  • Independent Fiscal Oversight - Holly Kim is not tied to the political establishment, and her record proves she will be an independent voice for Illinois taxpayers. She is trusted by voters across suburban and urban districts as she is the candidate with the most crossover votes in Lake County because she shows up, listens, and leads with integrity. Holly will hold the contractors accountable by enforcing prevailing wage laws, strengthening public trust, and ensuring every dollar spent is documented. She knows the job of Comptroller is to serve the people, not powerful interests, and she is prepared to speak up when there is injustice.
  • Innovation and Modernization - Holly Kim has transformed how local governments manage money by putting her background in technology and process improvement to work. She eliminated duplication in payment systems, streamlined workflows, and maximized existing software to speed up operations and reduce waste. Under her leadership, Lake County secured record investment earnings of over $3.2 million in a single year by putting property tax dollars to work rather than letting them sit idle. These earnings went directly back to schools, libraries, and essential services. As Comptroller, Holly will modernize financial systems across the state and make government work better, faster, and more securely.
Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim is running for Illinois Comptroller to bring a people-first vision for financial accountability and equity
The Comptroller operates at the intersection of policy, finance, and accountability. Unlike most offices, it independently verifies and reports how tax dollars are spent, serving as a critical check within state government. It also has the ability to illuminate the financial implications of legislative and executive decisions, helping ensure that the state’s budget reflects both fiscal discipline and moral responsibility to its residents.
The office requires both technical financial expertise and executive leadership—exactly the combination I bring from managing Lake County's public dollars and staff.
An elected official should embody integrity, accountability, and a genuine commitment to public service. Decision-making must be guided by data, not politics, and every action should advance transparency and equity. Public trust is earned by being accessible, responsive, and fiscally responsible—treating every taxpayer dollar as if it were one’s own. Above all, an elected official must lead with empathy, understanding how policy decisions affect people’s daily lives.

In my current role as Lake County Treasurer, I've demonstrated these principles by overseeing over $3 billion in fund distribution, negotiating record investment earnings that returned over $3.2 million directly to schools, libraries, and local governments, and publishing unclaimed funds online for the first time to increase transparency.
The State Comptroller serves as the chief fiscal watchdog for Illinois, ensuring that public funds are collected, managed, and disbursed responsibly. This includes maintaining accurate accounting of state expenditures, promoting transparency through accessible public reporting, and ensuring that financial systems are modern and efficient. The Comptroller must also use the office’s platform to advocate for long-term fiscal stability—balancing short-term obligations with the state’s future needs.

As Lake County Treasurer, I've lived these responsibilities firsthand by modernizing financial systems, cutting fees, streamlining payment processing, and ensuring every dollar authorized under my name serves the public good.
I remember watching the fall of the Berlin Wall on TV in 1989. I was about nine years old. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the politics of it, but I can remember people celebrating. As a first-generation Korean American, it stuck with me as a symbol of hope and change — that walls can come down, and people can come together after being divided for so long.
Transparency in government spending is foundational to ensure accountability and trust from all Illinoisians. Taxpayers deserve to know where their money goes and what value it creates. Equally important is ensuring timely payments to social service providers, local governments, and small businesses that depend on the state’s reliability. Fiscal stewardship isn’t just about balancing books—it’s about ensuring that resources are deployed efficiently and equitably to strengthen communities.

In Lake County, I've expanded community-based investments by purchasing local bonds and adding credit unions as property tax collection sites, ensuring that working families have greater access to financial services.
Many people are unaware that the Comptroller’s office has a powerful role in public engagement through fiscal transparency initiatives. Beyond processing payments, the office can publish data, create dashboards, and highlight inequities in state spending. The Comptroller also helps enforce laws that promote local government accountability, such as requiring municipalities to file annual financial reports—tools that empower residents to hold their own governments accountable.

Additionally, the office can advocate for legislative changes that promote fairness—like the legislation I introduced as Treasurer to reduce tax penalties for low-income residents hit with high interest fees, ensuring fairer treatment for working families.
Yes, because managing state finances requires both technical knowledge and a deep understanding of how government systems interact. Experience in public administration helps navigate budget processes, intergovernmental relationships, and compliance requirements. However, that experience should be complemented by a reform-minded approach—someone willing to modernize systems, build coalitions, and innovate in the public interest.
A strong Comptroller should have executive management experience, expertise in finance, data management, and a demonstrated history of successful organizational leadership. Equally essential are skills in communication and coalition-building to make fiscal data understandable and actionable to our taxpayers. Ethical leadership, technological fluency, and a commitment to continuous improvement are also critical for adapting state financial systems to the needs of a modern, diverse Illinois.

I'm the only candidate in this race with direct, executive-level experience managing billions of public dollars and staff. This hands-on experience is irreplaceable—every dollar that flows through my office is authorized under my name, and I'm accountable for those decisions.
See all of our endorsements at https://www.voteforhollykim.com/endorsements

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign websites

Kim's campaign website stated the following:

Protect Illinoisians from government and MAGA overreach

As Comptroller, Holly Kim will protect people’s personal and money information so it cannot be misused or turned into a political weapon.


At the federal level, MAGA extremists have made clear they want access to sensitive information like our state income tax returns and financial records in order to target political opponents and vulnerable communities.


Holly believes unequivocally: your data is not up for grabs.


The Comptroller’s Office plays a critical role as a firewall by safeguarding financial systems, enforcing privacy protections, and ensuring that no outside agenda compromises Illinois residents’ personal information. Holly will use the authority of the office to block improper data sharing and stand up to any attempt to pry into the private lives of Illinoisans.


Nerd alert

Holly’s commitment to privacy is personal. A close family member once stole her identity and destroyed her credit, giving her firsthand knowledge of how devastating data misuse can be. That experience shaped her lifelong advocacy for privacy rights.


Holly’s privacy rights advocacy can be traced all the way back to 2013 as a Village Trustee in Mundelein, where she pushed back and won against the misuse of license plate reader (LPR) data, insisting on strong guardrails to prevent surveillance overreach.


Most recently here in, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol illegally accessed that LPR data for their operations in Chicago against immigrant communities. In the same year, Texas police illegally accessed Illinois LPR data in their attempts to detain a woman seeking an abortion.


Holly understands that technology without accountability can quickly become a tool for abuse and she knows how to stop it.


Expand prevailing wage to protect more workers

Prevailing wage ensures that workers on publicly funded projects are paid fairly for their skilled labor and are not undercut by contractors who ignore wage laws. It is one of the strongest tools Illinois has to protect working families and uphold labor standards.


Holly Kim is unapologetically pro-worker. Unions built the middle class in Illinois. Unions secured weekends for workers, hourly wages, and safe working conditions. As Comptroller, Holly will strengthen and expand enforcement of prevailing wage laws so that public dollars never subsidize exploitation, a key pillar to the work Comptroller Mendoza championed for working people in her time in the office.


With data centers and solar farms popping up, seemingly all at the same time, the Comptroller’s Prevailing Wage Department needs investment to improve compliance tools and ensure that workers on public buildings, schools, and infrastructure projects are treated with dignity and paid what they are legally owed.


Nerd alert

Holly knows this work from the inside.


As an executive overseeing a unionized workforce represented by AFSCME Council 31, she has managed labor contracts, respected collective bargaining, and delivered results without attacking workers.


As a Village Trustee, Holly was the only board member to publicly oppose Governor Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda.” When the proposal was rushed forward, she questioned the lack of data, pushed back, and refused to rubber-stamp policies that would weaken workers without proper public input.


Hundreds of union workers flooded the Trustee meeting because Holly blew the whistle knowing the Governor’s overreach was looking to hurt working people.


Ultimately, thanks to Holly’s pushback, the Agenda never saw the light of day.


Modernize the Comptroller’s Office to Protect Taxpayer Money

Illinois taxpayers deserve a Comptroller’s Office that operates in the 21st Century.


Outdated systems don’t just slow government down, they expose public funds to fraud, abuse, and waste. As Lake County Treasurer, Holly modernized financial systems, streamlined internal processes, and increased investment returns of more than 200% from when she started, generating additional revenue that was returned to the community through smart and responsible investments.


As Comptroller, Holly will bring that same modernization mindset statewide:

  • ‍Phase out paper checks wherever possible. Those who intercept checks are using acid to erase payee names and steal public funds. This is preventable theft and it must stop.
  • ‍Implement secure digital tools like DocuSign. If digital signatures are secure enough for your mortgage, they are secure enough for the State of Illinois.
  • ‍Beef up cybersecurity. The office that is in charge of Billions of taxpayer dollars needs to be protected from threats and attacks from malicious bad agents. This not only requires updating existing software, but proper training for staff.

Nerd alert

Only someone who is already doing the job would catch these inefficiencies.


‍As County Treasurer, Holly’s office receives wire transfers from banks with lots of details, and in comparison, there’s less details from the payments coming from the state. That’s an indicator they are using outdated software which can make it harder for them to reconcile.


Holly is no stranger to upgrading payment software so every transfer and payment comes with clear documentation, transparency, and tracking. These updates, while cumbersome and clunky to launch, are wasting away in government offices across Illinois and paid for by the taxpayer even when they aren’t launched. By upgrading systems, the software upgrades ensure money gets where it needs to go quickly, accurately, and securely.


In 2022, Holly served on Secretary of State-elect Alexi Giannoulias’ Tech Transition Team to provide technology moderation recommendations, including leveraging the libraries as extended customer service options.

— Holly Kim's campaign website (February 27, 2026)

Kim's campaign website stated the following:

Protect Illinoisians from government and MAGA overreach

As Comptroller, Holly Kim will protect people’s personal and money information so it cannot be misused or turned into a political weapon.


At the federal level, MAGA extremists have made clear they want access to sensitive information like our state income tax returns and financial records in order to target political opponents and vulnerable communities.


Holly believes unequivocally: your data is not up for grabs.


The Comptroller’s Office plays a critical role as a firewall by safeguarding financial systems, enforcing privacy protections, and ensuring that no outside agenda compromises Illinois residents’ personal information. Holly will use the authority of the office to block improper data sharing and stand up to any attempt to pry into the private lives of Illinoisans.


Expand prevailing wage to protect more workers

Prevailing wage ensures that workers on publicly funded projects are paid fairly for their skilled labor and are not undercut by contractors who ignore wage laws. It is one of the strongest tools Illinois has to protect working families and uphold labor standards.


Holly Kim is unapologetically pro-worker. Unions built the middle class in Illinois. Unions secured weekends for workers, hourly wages, and safe working conditions. As Comptroller, Holly will strengthen and expand enforcement of prevailing wage laws so that public dollars never subsidize exploitation, a key pillar to the work Comptroller Mendoza championed for working people in her time in the office.


With data centers and solar farms popping up, seemingly all at the same time, the Comptroller’s Prevailing Wage Department needs investment to improve compliance tools and ensure that workers on public buildings, schools, and infrastructure projects are treated with dignity and paid what they are legally owed.


Modernize the Comptroller’s Office to Protect Taxpayer Money

Illinois taxpayers deserve a Comptroller’s Office that operates in the 21st Century.


Outdated systems don’t just slow government down, they expose public funds to fraud, abuse, and waste. As Lake County Treasurer, Holly modernized financial systems, streamlined internal processes, and increased investment returns of more than 200% from when she started, generating additional revenue that was returned to the community through smart and responsible investments.


As Comptroller, Holly will bring that same modernization mindset statewide:

  • ‍Phase out paper checks wherever possible. Those who intercept checks are using acid to erase payee names and steal public funds. This is preventable theft and it must stop.
  • ‍Implement secure digital tools like DocuSign. If digital signatures are secure enough for your mortgage, they are secure enough for the State of Illinois.
  • ‍Beef up cybersecurity. The office that is in charge of Billions of taxpayer dollars needs to be protected from threats and attacks from malicious bad agents. This not only requires updating existing software, but proper training for staff.

— Holly Kim's campaign website (February 25, 2026)

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 8, 2025
    2. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announces she’s not running for reelection, keeps door open for Chicago mayoral run," July 16, 2026
    3. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "What to know about the March 17 primary for Illinois comptroller," February 6, 2026
    4. ↑ Shaw Local, "2026 Election Questionnaire: Margaret Croke, Illinois Comptroller," February 7, 2026
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Capitol News Illinois, "Election ’26: 4 Democrats seeking to replace Mendoza as Illinois comptroller," February 2, 2026
    6. ↑ Shaw Local, "2026 Election Questionnaire: Stephanie Kifowit, Illinois Comptroller," February 7, 2026
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Stephanie Kifowit 2026 campaign website, "Why Stephanie," accessed February 24, 2026
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 8, 2025
    9. ↑ Karina Villa 2026 campaign website, "Make Illinois work for Illinois families again," accessed February 24, 2026
    10. ↑ Margaret Croke 2026 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed February 24, 2026
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