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."

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

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." 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.”

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." 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."

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." 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."

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." 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."

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