Illinois Comptroller election, 2026
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| Illinois Comptroller |
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| Election details |
| Filing deadline: November 3, 2025 |
| Primary: March 17, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
6 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
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Illinois is holding an election for comptroller on November 3, 2026. The primary is March 17, 2026. The filing deadline was November 3, 2025.
Candidates and election results
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.
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- George Danos (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller
Bryan Drew is running in the Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 17, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Bryan Drew | |
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| = 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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March 17 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."[1]
The state comptroller's office manages finances, pension funds, and reports on the state’s fiscal condition.[2]
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."[3] 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.”[4]
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."[5] 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."[6]
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."[7] 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."[7]
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."[8] 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."[4]
Capitol News Illinois' Ben Szalnski wrote that the next comptroller would take office "as the state faces growing financial uncertainty."[4] Each candidate is proposing different approaches to managing state finances. Croke and Kifowit both says they want to increase the state's reserves.[4] Croke also says she would consider refinancing state pension debt, while Kifowit's website focused on cutting spending that benefits corporations.[9][6] Kim is campaigning on improving the state's credit rating and proposes instituting a progressive state income tax.[4] Villa supports raising revenue to fund social programs, and supports a progressive income tax and a digital advertising tax.[4]
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.
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Illinois
Campaign finance
The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.
Past elections
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2016.
2022
- See also: Illinois Comptroller election, 2022
General election
General election for Illinois Comptroller
Incumbent Susana Mendoza defeated Shannon Teresi, Deirdre McCloskey, and Jeffrey English in the general election for Illinois Comptroller on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Susana Mendoza (D) | 57.1 | 2,331,714 |
 | Shannon Teresi (R) | 41.0 | 1,676,637 | |
| Deirdre McCloskey (L) | 1.9 | 76,808 | ||
| Jeffrey English (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 25 | ||
| Total votes: 4,085,184 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller
Incumbent Susana Mendoza advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susana Mendoza | 100.0 | 838,155 |
| Total votes: 838,155 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller
Shannon Teresi advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Shannon Teresi | 100.0 | 666,835 |
| Total votes: 666,835 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Michael Kinney (R)
2018
- See also: Illinois Comptroller election, 2018
General election
General election for Illinois Comptroller
Incumbent Susana Mendoza defeated Darlene Senger and Claire Ball in the general election for Illinois Comptroller on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susana Mendoza (D) | 59.9 | 2,716,853 |
 | Darlene Senger (R) | 37.0 | 1,678,346 | |
 | Claire Ball (L) | 3.1 | 140,543 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 17 | ||
| Total votes: 4,535,759 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller
Incumbent Susana Mendoza advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susana Mendoza | 100.0 | 1,147,095 |
| Total votes: 1,147,095 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller
Darlene Senger advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Darlene Senger | 100.0 | 607,187 |
| Total votes: 607,187 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2016
The general election for comptroller was held on November 8, 2016.
Susana Mendoza defeated Leslie Munger, Claire Ball, and Tim Curtin in the Illinois comptroller election.
| Illinois Comptroller, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Susana Mendoza |
49.45% | 2,676,244 | |
| Republican | Leslie Munger | 44.43% | 2,404,723 | |
| Libertarian | Claire Ball | 3.46% | 187,017 | |
| Green | Tim Curtin | 2.67% | 144,559 | |
| Total Votes | 5,412,543 | |||
| Source: Illinois Secretary of State | ||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois' 1st | Jonathan Jackson | D+18 |
| Illinois' 2nd | Robin Kelly | D+18 |
| Illinois' 3rd | Delia Ramirez | D+17 |
| Illinois' 4th | Chuy Garcia | D+17 |
| Illinois' 5th | Mike Quigley | D+19 |
| Illinois' 6th | Sean Casten | D+3 |
| Illinois' 7th | Danny Davis | D+34 |
| Illinois' 8th | Raja Krishnamoorthi | D+5 |
| Illinois' 9th | Jan Schakowsky | D+19 |
| Illinois' 10th | Brad Schneider | D+12 |
| Illinois' 11th | Bill Foster | D+6 |
| Illinois' 12th | Mike Bost | R+22 |
| Illinois' 13th | Nikki Budzinski | D+5 |
| Illinois' 14th | Lauren Underwood | D+3 |
| Illinois' 15th | Mary Miller | R+20 |
| Illinois' 16th | Darin LaHood | R+11 |
| Illinois' 17th | Eric Sorensen | D+3 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris  | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois' 1st | 65.0% | 33.0% |
| Illinois' 2nd | 66.0% | 33.0% |
| Illinois' 3rd | 65.0% | 34.0% |
| Illinois' 4th | 63.0% | 35.0% |
| Illinois' 5th | 68.0% | 31.0% |
| Illinois' 6th | 52.0% | 47.0% |
| Illinois' 7th | 82.0% | 17.0% |
| Illinois' 8th | 53.0% | 46.0% |
| Illinois' 9th | 68.0% | 31.0% |
| Illinois' 10th | 60.0% | 38.0% |
| Illinois' 11th | 55.0% | 44.0% |
| Illinois' 12th | 28.0% | 71.0% |
| Illinois' 13th | 54.0% | 44.0% |
| Illinois' 14th | 52.0% | 47.0% |
| Illinois' 15th | 29.0% | 69.0% |
| Illinois' 16th | 38.0% | 61.0% |
| Illinois' 17th | 52.0% | 47.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 72.8% of Illinoisans lived in one of the state's 12 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 24.7% lived in one of 88 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Illinois was Solid Democratic, having voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Kamala Harris (D) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Illinois following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Illinois county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 12 | 72.8% | |||||
| Solid Republican | 88 | 24.7% | |||||
| Trending Democratic | 2 | 2.5% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 14 | 75.3% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 88 | 24.7% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Illinois presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 17 Democratic wins
- 15 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Illinois.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Illinois
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Illinois.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Illinois' congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Illinois | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 2 | 14 | 16 |
| Republican | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 17 | 19 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Illinois' top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | J.B. Pritzker |
| Lieutenant Governor | Juliana Stratton |
| Secretary of State | Alexi Giannoulias |
| Attorney General | Kwame Raoul |
State legislature
Illinois State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 40 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 59 | |
Illinois House of Representatives
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 78 | |
| Republican Party | 40 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 118 | |
Trifecta control
Illinois Party Control: 1992-2025
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas • Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
The table below details demographic data in Illinois and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Illinois | ||
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | United States | |
| Population | 12,812,508 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 55,512 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 63.3% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 13.8% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 7.3% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 9.2% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 18.5% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 90.3% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 37.2% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $81,702 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 11.7% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| Illinois | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announces she’s not running for reelection, keeps door open for Chicago mayoral run," July 16, 2026
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "What to know about the March 17 primary for Illinois comptroller," February 6, 2026
- ↑ Shaw Local, "2026 Election Questionnaire: Margaret Croke, Illinois Comptroller," February 7, 2026
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Capitol News Illinois, "Election ’26: 4 Democrats seeking to replace Mendoza as Illinois comptroller," February 2, 2026
- ↑ Shaw Local, "2026 Election Questionnaire: Stephanie Kifowit, Illinois Comptroller," February 7, 2026
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Stephanie Kifowit 2026 campaign website, "Why Stephanie," accessed February 24, 2026
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 8, 2025
- ↑ Karina Villa 2026 campaign website, "Make Illinois work for Illinois families again," accessed February 24, 2026
- ↑ Margaret Croke 2026 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed February 24, 2026
