As Comptroller, Holly Kim will protect people’s personal and money information so it cannot be misused or turned into a political weapon.
At the federal level, MAGA extremists have made clear they want access to sensitive information like our state income tax returns and financial records in order to target political opponents and vulnerable communities.
Holly believes unequivocally: your data is not up for grabs.
The Comptroller’s Office plays a critical role as a firewall by safeguarding financial systems, enforcing privacy protections, and ensuring that no outside agenda compromises Illinois residents’ personal information. Holly will use the authority of the office to block improper data sharing and stand up to any attempt to pry into the private lives of Illinoisans.
Holly’s commitment to privacy is personal. A close family member once stole her identity and destroyed her credit, giving her firsthand knowledge of how devastating data misuse can be. That experience shaped her lifelong advocacy for privacy rights.
Holly’s privacy rights advocacy can be traced all the way back to 2013 as a Village Trustee in Mundelein, where she pushed back and won against the misuse of license plate reader (LPR) data, insisting on strong guardrails to prevent surveillance overreach.
Most recently here in, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol illegally accessed that LPR data for their operations in Chicago against immigrant communities. In the same year, Texas police illegally accessed Illinois LPR data in their attempts to detain a woman seeking an abortion.
Holly understands that technology without accountability can quickly become a tool for abuse and she knows how to stop it.
Prevailing wage ensures that workers on publicly funded projects are paid fairly for their skilled labor and are not undercut by contractors who ignore wage laws. It is one of the strongest tools Illinois has to protect working families and uphold labor standards.
Holly Kim is unapologetically pro-worker. Unions built the middle class in Illinois. Unions secured weekends for workers, hourly wages, and safe working conditions. As Comptroller, Holly will strengthen and expand enforcement of prevailing wage laws so that public dollars never subsidize exploitation, a key pillar to the work Comptroller Mendoza championed for working people in her time in the office.
With data centers and solar farms popping up, seemingly all at the same time, the Comptroller’s Prevailing Wage Department needs investment to improve compliance tools and ensure that workers on public buildings, schools, and infrastructure projects are treated with dignity and paid what they are legally owed.
Holly knows this work from the inside.
As an executive overseeing a unionized workforce represented by AFSCME Council 31, she has managed labor contracts, respected collective bargaining, and delivered results without attacking workers.
As a Village Trustee, Holly was the only board member to publicly oppose Governor Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda.” When the proposal was rushed forward, she questioned the lack of data, pushed back, and refused to rubber-stamp policies that would weaken workers without proper public input.
Hundreds of union workers flooded the Trustee meeting because Holly blew the whistle knowing the Governor’s overreach was looking to hurt working people.
Ultimately, thanks to Holly’s pushback, the Agenda never saw the light of day.
Illinois taxpayers deserve a Comptroller’s Office that operates in the 21st Century.
Outdated systems don’t just slow government down, they expose public funds to fraud, abuse, and waste. As Lake County Treasurer, Holly modernized financial systems, streamlined internal processes, and increased investment returns of more than 200% from when she started, generating additional revenue that was returned to the community through smart and responsible investments.
As Comptroller, Holly will bring that same modernization mindset statewide:
Only someone who is already doing the job would catch these inefficiencies.
As County Treasurer, Holly’s office receives wire transfers from banks with lots of details, and in comparison, there’s less details from the payments coming from the state. That’s an indicator they are using outdated software which can make it harder for them to reconcile.
Holly is no stranger to upgrading payment software so every transfer and payment comes with clear documentation, transparency, and tracking. These updates, while cumbersome and clunky to launch, are wasting away in government offices across Illinois and paid for by the taxpayer even when they aren’t launched. By upgrading systems, the software upgrades ensure money gets where it needs to go quickly, accurately, and securely.
In 2022, Holly served on Secretary of State-elect Alexi Giannoulias’ Tech Transition Team to provide technology moderation recommendations, including leveraging the libraries as extended customer service options.
Holly Kim is leading in the polls and has the receipts to prove it.
In October 2025, Comptroller candidate Holly Kim ran a poll from October 13 - 17 and initial vote was at 6%. These poll results were released to Politico Illinois Playbook.
Comptroller candidate Karina Villa ran a poll between November 12 - 17 and Holly Kim increased her initial vote +3 points in less than a month. These poll results were released to Politico Illinois Playbook.
Comptroller candidate Stephanie Kifowit ran a poll between December 4 - 6 where Holly Kim's initial vote increased +2 points in less than a month. These results were originally posted on the candidate's social media and then taken down.
Most recently, a poll was ran in early January, likely by Comptroller Candidate Margaret Croke, but those poll results were not released to the press. Two questions from the poll tested both a positive and a negative for candidate Margaret Croke, which included:
Margaret Croke is an out of touch politican who is part of the same broken system that caused Illinois' financial problem in the first place. Her campaign is funded by billionaire donors and the pro-Israel lobby. Plus, Croke doesn't understand the challenges working families across the state face: she lives in a multi-million dollar Lincoln Park mansion.
Margaret Croke is a mom of three who knows what it takes for those juggling work, family, and of life's challenges. She has fresh ideas to modernize the Comptroller's office and will use it to help solve the struggles Illinois families face, as she has her entire career. Croke served in the Pritzker administration and as a state representative, focused on bringing new jobs to Illinois and fighting for re-productive rights and affordable childcare. She will be part of a generation of leadership who makes government work for the people.
On February 13, 2026, at 11:45 a.m. CST, Comptroller candidate Holly Kim submitted her completed Chicago Tribune questionnaire.
The Holly Kim Campaign received the questionnaire via email on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 10:55 am. CST, with a deadline of Friday, February 13, 2026, at 12:00 pm. CST.
1. If elected Illinois comptroller, what would be your top three priorities in the first year of your term, and why? Please be specific about what you would change, improve or initiate.
On the campaign trail I often answer this question by saying, “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do the job.” What sets me apart from the other candidates is being the only candidate who has been elected into the Executive branch of government. With experience managing government staff and direct oversight of public funds, I am currently performing the work of Comptroller and Treasurer combined with direct authority over and access to billions of dollars. I’m also the only candidate in this race who sits on a $2 billion municipal investment pool. My experience means that I understand the operational, regulatory, and risk-management demands of this role. This gives me some unique insight into not just what needs to be done, but also the nuts and bolts of how to do it.
Additionally, a truly modern workplace supports the wellbeing of its workforce as much as it looks to implement more efficient technology. When we do it right, staff will spend less time on repetitive, reactionary tasks like manual data entry and more time on proactive, meaningful work. I also believe in prioritizing mental health and flexible work schedules. These aren’t radical ideas anymore. It’s smart management preparing to create a competitive workforce that wants to retain great talent, and that’s the kind of reform I want to bring to the office.
We need leaders to attract and retain the next generation of public servants. That means talking about things like a hybrid work model, digitizing manual processes and streamlining day-to-day operations because Millennials, Gen Z and beyond won’t tolerate working in offices that are stuck in the 1980’s.
2. In your view, is the comptroller’s role primarily administrative (focused on paying the state’s bills and publishing accurate financial reports) or should the office also serve as an active public advocate on fiscal and policy matters? Please explain your philosophy of the job and how you would balance those responsibilities.
The comptroller is the chief fiscal watchdog of the state, responsible for paying our bills on time, but make no mistake, this isn’t a rubber stamp job. The comptroller controls the spigot, and the power of this office is in the control of the flow of funds, and how quickly they are disbursed.This matters because when we have to tighten our belts–and let’s face it—Illinois is in a chronic state of belt tightening. It matters who gets paid first and how steady payments flow.
We saw the fiscal cliff Bruce Rauner nearly drove our state off by simply not allowing bills to be paid. We lost nearly $1 billion just in late payment penalties. That’s money that could have gone toward essential services or debt reduction. It’s also money that should have been paid to nonprofits and service providers doing the work on the ground.
During the Rauner years, I sat on the board of Hanul Family Alliance, a senior home healthcare organization. When the reimbursements didn’t come from the Comptroller’s office, I saw first hand what it meant. I recall saying to my fellow board members, “We only have two months of operating budget. If we shut down, who is going to bathe, feed, or clean our seniors? How is this okay?”
Untimely reimbursement also means fewer doctors and service providers willing to take Medicaid. As a young mother who relied on programs like All Kids/Medicaid, I know first hand what it’s like to drive an hour to find a pediatric dentist who will see your child. That’s why as comptroller it will be my priority to protect Illinois’ social service providers and our nonprofits.
To sum up my philosophy, I’m a finance nerd who wants to get in there and do the job, but I’m also a lifelong advocate for working people. I would use the office as a tool for good fiscal policy that promotes equity, an informed public, and fighting for the working class people and those two paychecks away from nothing. Because I remember what it was like
3. How do you assess the tenure of Comptroller Susana Mendoza? What, if anything, did she do well that you would continue? Where would you take a different approach?
When Susana Mendoza came into office, she inherited a hot mess. She’s done an excellent job professionalizing the office, making sure checks go out on time, paying down the bill backlog, securing Illinois’ 10 credit upgrades, and maintaining a strong collaborative relationship with the Treasurer and the pension boards to ensure we have a wise investment strategy for our state pensions. I think her mission was to stop a house from burning to the ground, and I’m here to make the next steps of renovations.
I will continue to advocate for responsible measures like SB1415 that strengthen our rainy day fund, enforce smarter budgeting, and ensure consistent pension payments. This law improves transparency and accountability by tightening spending limits, modernizing reporting to the Comptroller, and prioritizing fiscal stability when revenues grow.
I will streamline the process so vendors can more easily reclaim money that belongs to them, with proactive outreach instead of bureaucratic hurdles.
We also need meaningful accountability for municipalities that submit their financial reports late. I don’t mean a day or a week late. I’m talking about 100 or even 300 days late. As a former Village trustee and Township director, I’ve had a long-standing relationship with the Illinois Municipal League and Township Officials of Illinois. Many municipal elected officials have expressed a desire for improved data access and better reconciliation tools from the Comptroller’s office, which I fully support. And I want to partner with them to tackle one of the core issues here is that there is currently limited support for municipalities or auditors who submit their reports late because of the shortage of CPAs. My goal isn’t to punish late reporting, but to work with the municipalities and taxing bodies to tackle the issue collaboratively.
4. Given the Trump administration is reducing funding to Illinois and attaching stricter conditions to federal dollars, how should the comptroller respond? What specific tools or strategies would you use to manage cash flow, protect taxpayers and maintain transparency during periods of fiscal stress?
I came from a background of extreme financial hardship. During college when I told my parents I was pregnant unexpectedly, I was promptly kicked out of the house. I had to work fulltime and go to school part time while juggling a kid. It took me 8-and-a-half years to get my degree. During that time, I signed up for programs like WIC, Medicaid, the Head Start program, and LIHEAP. When it rains - it pours. Around that same time, I had a relative steal my identity and trash my credit to the ground. So I have first-hand experience with the real life impact of what the federal government is doing by threatening social programs people need to survive.
Periods of hardship are when people need the government the most. During this time of federal uncertainty, the Comptroller’s job is to be Illinois’ financial stabilizer and truth teller. After college, I was an office manager for a doctor that took Illinois Medicaid, and I was able to see the direct effect it had on service providers offices when the state reimburses late. Delays hurt providers who then stop participating, and further hurts the people who are in need of assistance. During difficult times, I will pay bills responsibly, prioritize government workers and social service providers for children, seniors, and our most vulnerable populations and protect taxpayers from panic-driven decisions.
I have spent my entire elected career delivering tangible reform so the government favors those who are two paychecks away from nothing and the working class. When I first got in as Lake County Treasurer, I changed how we invested and was able to deliver 200% investment gains from the former treasurer’s results. I also gave over $6.4 million in investment interest BACK to my taxing bodies including schools, parks, libraries. I’m a flexible problem-solver who adapts quickly and performs well in high-pressure situations.
The power of the Comptroller’s office is the hand on the spigot of cash flow. I will prioritize our social service providers and nonprofits receiving funding and with concrete tools.
Cash flow triage with values. Use daily cash position modeling to prioritize payments that keep people safe and the economy moving. Bond debt, government employees, Medicaid, schools, public safety, and core social services get paid first. This avoids service disruptions and protects taxpayers from higher downstream costs.
Enforce spending discipline in real time. Use the Comptroller’s authority to flag when agency spending or payment delays are drifting out of bounds, and require corrective action before backlogs happen and overcommunicate. Early warnings are cheaper than crises.
Transparent federal funding tracker. Create a public dashboard showing which federal dollars are reduced, delayed, or restricted, what conditions are attached, and how that affects Illinois programs. Residents deserve to know when Washington politics hits their community and who to contact.
Hold regular public briefings with agencies to align cash flow, adjust timing, and prevent siloed decisions that worsen stress. When funding cuts hit, explain plainly what it means for providers and residents.
When it comes to overseeing billions in the people's money, I take the professional approach of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. I will be honest about our fiscal situation whether what I have to say is popular or not, even if I have to go against my own party members - and I have. I am not about political spin, I’m about facts. We are living in a time where people do not trust politicians and don’t want polished bullet points or limousine liberals; they want elected leaders who represent them, tell it like it is. I believe the voters are smart and I take seriously the task to represent everyone in the state of Illinois fairly and equally in my office.
I am running to be the fiscal protector of Illinois taxpayers, families, workers, and the next generation like I wish someone would have done for me when I was young and struggling to get by.
Kindest regards,
Holly Kim
PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF HOLLY KIM