Illinois Democrats have won the state office of comptroller away from Republicans.
Susana Mendoza, a Democrat from Chicago, won a special election for a two-year term.
Mendoza defeated incumbent Leslie Munger, who was appointed after Judy Baar Topinka died in office.
The campaign became a proxy battle in the war between Democrats and Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, who personally spent millions on the race.
Mendoza says her victory is a repudiation of Rauner’s so-called Turnaround Agenda.
“I think what we saw tonight was a rejection of the extreme agenda which is making so many people in the state of Illinois victims,” Mendoza told her supporters.
Rauner has refused to negotiate a balanced budget until Democrats first pass pro-business, anti-union legislation.
Illinois owes much more money than it’s collecting in taxes. As comptroller, Mendoza can prioritize which bills get paid first — and which have to wait.
