SPRINGFIELD — Chicago state Rep. Margaret Croke was declared the winner in the Democratic primary for Illinois comptroller, according to the Associated Press.
Croke will advance to the November election and face Republican Bryan Drew of Marion in the first open election for the comptroller’s office since 2016. Incumbent Comptroller Susana Mendoza, a Democrat from Chicago, is not seeking reelection after nearly 10 years in office.
“Thank you to the voters across Illinois for putting their trust in me to serve as the Democratic nominee for state comptroller,” Croke said in a statement Thursday. “I am running for this office to be a fiscal watchdog who will protect taxpayer dollars, ensure transparency in how our state spends money, and pay bills on time. I am incredibly grateful that my message is resonating with so many people across our state.”
Results of the closely contested race as of Thursday afternoon show Croke receiving 34.6% of the vote with 92% of precincts across the state reporting. The race was too close to call on Tuesday night as Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, trailed by a few points.
Croke received 39% of the vote in Cook County, which is home to the largest population of Democratic voters in the state. Villa, who positioned herself as the progressive in the race, performed best in west suburban counties that include parts of her Senate district and received 32.3% of the vote statewide.
Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim came in third with 24.4% of the statewide vote but received support from more than half of primary voters in her home county. Kim also won several downstate counties where she campaigned heavily.
Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, received 8.7% of the vote.
Another win for Pritzker
Croke’s victory also chalks up another win for Gov. JB Pritzker, who endorsed her for the office and financially supported her campaign, allowing her to run multiple TV ads to boost her name recognition.
“Margaret has always been committed to responsible fiscal management and improving the lives of hardworking Illinoisans,” Pritzker said in a statement. “She knows how to get things done, and I know she will hit the ground running on day one fighting for Illinois families.”
Croke’s attention now turns to her Republican opponent, Drew, who told reporters on Wednesday at a Republican Party breakfast in Naperville that his career as an attorney makes him the candidate who understands how government works the best.
“Unfortunately, my opponent said she stands with JB on everything,” Drew said. “That's not the job. The job of the comptroller is to stand with the people, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'll be an independent person for the people of this state.”
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
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