Margaret Croke wins Democratic primary for Illinois comptroller

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.”