Raj Pillai (Will County Treasurer, Illinois, candidate 2026)

Raj Pillai

Republican Party

Candidate, Will County Treasurer

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 17, 2026

Education

High school

Albany High School

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1996 - 2003

Personal

Profession

Certified public accountant

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Raj Pillai (Republican Party) (also known as Pi) ran for election to the Will County Treasurer in Illinois. Pillai was on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 17, 2026.^[source]

Pillai completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Raj Pillai provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on February 1, 2026:

• High school: Albany High School
• Bachelor's: State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany, 2005
• Military service: United States Navy, 1996-2003
• Profession: Certified Public Accountant
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign website
• Campaign endorsements
• Campaign Facebook
• LinkedIn

Elections

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Will County Treasurer

Tim Brophy (D) ran in the Democratic primary for Will County Treasurer on March 17, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Tim Brophy

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	Incumbency information for this race was not available.
= 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.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Will County Treasurer

Carmen Maurella III (R) and Raj Pillai (R) ran in the Republican primary for Will County Treasurer on March 17, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Carmen Maurella III
		Raj Pillai

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	Incumbency information for this race was not available.
= 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.

Endorsements

To view Pillai's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Pillai in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Raj Pillai completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pillai's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Raj “Pi” Pillai is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and financial expert, decorated United States Navy veteran, and community leader who will be a fiscal watchdog for Will County taxpayers. As President of the Will County Veterans’ Assistance Commission, he transformed it into one of the state’s best-performing agencies, expanding services without raising costs. For over 20 years, Pillai has dedicated his career to improving the fiscal stability of families, organizations, and major corporations, which includes work in auditing, accounting, and financial solutions. As an entrepreneur, Pillai founded his own CPA and financial advisory firm in Plainfield. He and his wife live in Plainfield with their 3 children.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Protect Every Tax Dollar with Proven Fiscal Responsibility

  Government doesn’t own your money just because it collects it. It’s still your money, and it must be protected.

  As a CPA, I’ve spent my career safeguarding finances. I brought that same discipline to the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission when it was failing veterans due to waste and lack of oversight. We turned it from one of the worst to one of the best, expanded services, opened a new building, and saved taxpayers millions without raising the budget.

  As Treasurer, I will protect taxpayer dollars, prevent mismanagement, and ensure county funds are invested wisely with real accountability.
• Eliminate Waste and Increase Efficiency It breaks my heart to see taxpayer money wasted when families are struggling with rising costs for food, gas, and rent. Your tax dollars should never disappear into bureaucracy. As Will County Treasurer, I will scrutinize every dollar, eliminate waste, and modernize outdated systems that drive up costs. I will demand accountability for salaries and spending, attend key budget meetings to provide real-time financial oversight, and push to merge the Treasurer and Auditor offices to improve transparency, even if it means eliminating my own position. Taxpayers come first.
• Demand Real Transparency for Taxpayers Taxpayers deserve to know where their money goes—in plain English, not buried in confusing reports. True transparency means residents can easily find and understand how their dollars are spent. As Will County Treasurer, I will redesign financial reports to be simple and accessible online, create a user-friendly website with direct links to key information, and publish quarterly reports on spending and investments. This level of transparency should already exist. Government runs on your money, and you deserve to see exactly how it’s used.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about fiscal responsibility, transparency in government, and protecting taxpayers. As a CPA and U.S. Navy veteran, I believe public dollars should be managed with the same care and accountability as family budgets. I care deeply about modernizing government systems to reduce waste, improving financial oversight to prevent fraud and mismanagement, and making financial information clear and accessible to the public. I am also committed to ensuring strong stewardship of funds that support essential services, especially for veterans and working families, while keeping taxes as low as possible through efficient and responsible government.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

My campaign has been endorsed by the following local leaders:

Jim Richmond, Will County Board Republican Leader

Vince Logan, Will County Board Republican Whip

Katie Deane-Schlottman, Will County Board Member

Dan Butler, Will County Board Member

Julie Berkowicz, Will County Board Member

Dave Oxley, Will County Board Member

Suzanne Hart, Former Will County Forest Preserve President and former County Board Member

Debbie Militello, Former County Board Member and former Village of Channahon Trustee

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 website

Pillai's campaign website stated the following:

Protect Every Tax Dollar with Proven Fiscal Responsibility

I will safeguard taxpayer money with the same diligence I’ve shown throughout my career as a CPA. From stronger financial controls to smarter investments, I will ensure every dollar is accounted for, something that is not happening now.

Eliminate Waste and Increase Efficiency

I will push to consolidate outdated systems, scrutinize spending, and demand accountability in every corner of county government. Wherever money is being wasted, I will shine a light on it so we can put more money back in the pockets of working families.

Demand Real Transparency for Taxpayers

Taxpayers deserve simple, clear reports showing how their money is being used. I will overhaul financial reporting so anyone, not just accountants, can easily understand where every dollar goes.

— Raj Pillai's campaign website (March 13, 2026)

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

See also

2026 Elections

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Candidate

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