Election 2018: The race for Illinois Comptroller

SPRINGFIELD – With election day coming next Tuesday for the mid-terms, many people across the country are pushing for high voter turnouts.

Social media is full of political ads, voter education, and people displaying their early voting stickers for what is forming into an extremely important election cycle for Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike. Many state and local positions are currently up for grabs, and Riverbender.com's voting guide aims to inform those still on the fence about the candidates from whom they are given choices.

Much of this information is public record, but some of the candidates were able to complete questionnaires sent by reporters. Not everyone responded to those, so research into campaign promises, funding and voting records was conducted in order to properly display the candidates and what each represents.

The position of Illinois Comptroller is to maintain the state's fiscal accounts and ordering payments in and out of them. It was created in the Illinois Constitution of 1970 and replaced the auditor of public accounts. It is an elected position being sought by Republican Darlene Senger, Libertarian Claire Ball and incumbent Democrat Susana Mendoza. Mendoza was chosen in a special election to finish the term of former Illinois Comptroller Judy Barr-Topinka who died while in office.

DARLENE SENGER

Republican candidate Darlene Senger once served as the District 41 representative from 2009-2015. During that time, she served on the appropriation committees for elementary and secondary education as well as general service. She also served on the committees of business growth and incentives, financial institutions, insurance, personal and pensions and the legislative ethics commission. She also endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

In the private sector, Senger earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Purdue University and an M.B.A. In finance from DePaul University. She worked as a financial adviser and was also a member of the Naperville City Council from 2002-2008.

The main funding body for Senger's campaign is Citizens for Leslie Munger, who was the former Illinois Comptroller. She was defeated by current Illinois Comptroller Susan A. Mendoza. That group donated $35,000 and the Illinois Republican Party donated $30,500 to the campaign as well.

SUSANA MENDOZA

Incumbent Democrat Susana Mendoza formerly served as a representative to the Illinois General Assembly from 2001-2011, serving District One. She also was elected as the first female Chicago City Clerk before being chosen as the Illinois Comptroller in 2016 to finish the last remaining two years of the late former Illinois Comptroller, Judy Baar Topinka's term.

During her time in the General Assembly, Mendoza served as the chair of the bio-technology, international trade and commerce committees and also served on the committees of consumer protection, public utilities, labor and the railroad industry.

She has a B.A. in business administration from Truman State University and is also an outreach director for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development.

Mendoza's top campaign donor is the Democratic Party of Illinois with $705,400, followed by the Laborers' Political League Education Fund with $341,200, Construction and General Laborers' Distict Council of Chicago and Vicinity with $291,800, UFCW Local 881 Political Action Committee with $251,550, Chicago Land Operators Joint Management PAC with $218,600, Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee with $180,400, I.U.O.E. Local 399 Political Education Fund with $179,150, Illinois Federation Teachers COPE with $160,300 and SEIU HealthCare IL IN PAC with $159,667.02

CLAIRE BALL

Libertarian candidate Claire Ball works as an accountant. She is a member of the Libertarian Party of Illinois, the DuPage Libertarians, Toastmasters International and the Silent Film Society of Chicago. She received a bachelor's degree in accounting from DeVry University in 2006 and her master's degree in accounting and finance from the Keller Graduate School of Management. She became a CPA in 2016 and was appointed to the College of Du Page's Budget Committee for 2016-2017 fiscal years.

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