‘This election is not over’: Democratic race for Illinois comptroller still undecided as Croke holds slim lead
By Laura Rodríguez Presa
Published on March 18, 2026.
The Democratic primary for Illinois comptroller remained too close to call, with state Rep. Margaret Croke maintaining a slim lead over state Sen. Karina Villa. With an estimated 92% of votes counted, Croke led Villa 34.6% to 32.2%, according to unofficial results. Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim, who had received an endorsement from outgoing Democratic comptroller Susana Mendoza, appears to have finished third with 24% of the estimated votes counted. Nearly 88,000 city mail-in ballots had been outstanding as of Election Day. This leaves the comptroller's race as the only unresolved statewide race heading into the November election. If elected, Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton are expected to face each other in contested races for secretary of state and attorney general.
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