Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I currently have the honor of serving two-terms as Lake County Treasurer, managing $3.2 billion in the third-largest county in Illinois. Every check that goes out with my name on it. Which means out of the four people running for this job - I’m the only one already doing it.
I came from a background of extreme financial hardship during college when I told my parents I was pregnant and was promptly kicked out. I had to work full-time, and go to school part-time. I signed up for WIC, Medicaid, the Head Start program, and LIHEAP. I know what it was like to be on public aid, which is why as Comptroller, I’ll prioritize swift, reliable payments to nonprofits, schools, and service providers. Because delays hurt real people.
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 am very proud that after 23 years, and cobbling together every aspect of financial learning, that I stand before you as someone who manages billions in public funds, and also sits on a 2 billion dollars municipal investment pool. I have spent my elected career changing government to favor those who are two paychecks away from nothing and the working class. I am running to be a protector of you, your family, and your money in a time when it has never been more under threat by the Trump administration.
What skills or experience do you have that make you particularly suited to this position?
For the last seven years as Lake County Treasurer, I have managed billions of dollars in public funds, overseeing distribution from my office, and every check has my signature on it, which means out of the four candidates running for the position, I’m the only one already doing the job of Comptroller. I manage cash flow, safeguard public dollars, and ensure payments are accurate, timely, and accountable. During Covid time, I understood how delicate this balance was. If we didn’t keep processing property tax payments at the office, money wouldn’t be distributed to the taxing bodies. During a time where there wasn’t PPE, I bought a bunch of boards at Home Depot to separate our cashiering stations. Small breakdowns in systems can create real harm for schools, nonprofits, workers, and taxpayers.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza has been my work mentor during my time as County Treasurer. She’s a spitfire. She’s taught me to be independently minded to do what’s best for the office, and to stand up for working people like she did during the Bruce Rauner years. This role demands competence, independence, and judgment. I have spent seven years proving I can do the work, protect taxpayer dollars, and earn the trust that comes with signing every check.
Recently, my staff has unionized through AFSCME Council 31, and I wholeheartedly supported their decision. I think that my background of financial hardship having a child in college, where I had to sign up for WIC, Medicaid, LIHEAP, the EITC, and the head start program and having a relative destroy my credit, has given me a lens of compassion for understanding the hardships of working families, which I think is very important for an elected official. After all, at the end of the day, we are running to represent the people of Illinois.
What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?
I give Susana all the credit for the 10 credit upgrades and paying down the bill backlog from Rauner that generated over a billion dollars in late fees. The prevailing wage department is also a national leader safeguarding protections for skilled labor.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do the job. My background is in the tech sector, and I know the office is operating with outdated software. For example, when I receive transfers from the banks to my County Treasurer office, I receive lots of details, and when I receive transfers from the state, there are fewer details. That tells me they are using an old mainframe system, and once it’s upgraded, it’ll make reconciliation easier for municipalities and vendors. I also plan to beef up cybersecurity, as this office administers billions in payments, one of the most common scams is intercepting paper checks, acid washing the “to” line, and replacing it with the scammer’s name. We must transition to more secure forms of payment like ACH. I also think there could be more convenience with tools like Docusign. If you can close on a house without stepping into a building, we could use the same technology.
I will strengthen the office’s role in enforcing prevailing wage laws. With large scale projects like data centers and solar farms expanding across the state, compliance tools and staffing must keep pace. Public dollars should never subsidize exploitation, and workers deserve to be paid what they are legally owed.
I will continue to keep the office fiercely independent. The Comptroller exists to serve the people of Illinois, not corporate interests or the oligarchs, and it is a check and a balance to the constitutional offices. That means safeguarding personal and financial data, resisting improper information sharing, and being willing to say no when something is wrong. Even to other elected officials.
I am a people funded campaign with over 1,000 donations from everyday individuals. That matters because it means my accountability is to working families, not political insiders or special interests. I am not running to serve powerful donors or lobbyists. I am running to serve the people whose hard earned dollars keep this state running.
What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
The most pressing issue facing the people I serve is affordability. Families are being squeezed from every direction. Wages are not keeping up with the cost of housing, childcare, healthcare, and basic necessities. At the same time, I think people are at a point where they are saying “Look, I don’t want your polished bullet points and limousine liberals. What are you actually going to do - to make my life better?” and asking how the government can work better for the people.
Having relied on public aid and social safety nets, I will make sure to pay bills on time so nonprofits and social service providers are not forced to take out loans just to keep their doors open.
It also means enforcing prevailing wage laws so workers are paid fairly on publicly funded projects. One of the advantages of living in Illinois is our strong union labor force. When we put Illinois construction trade workers to work, we put skilled union labor on the job. We have to put Illinois to work first before allowing contractors to bring in out of state workers.
We are doing a disservice to the American worker when we as a government fail in our ability to assure working men and women are receiving fair wages and benefits through a negotiated agreement. Workers deserve a voice at their job sites and collective bargaining is that voice.
The Illinois government has got to be supportive and promote the inclusion of Illinois workers under project labor agreements. The assurances and guarantees granted under the concepts of a project labor agreement here in Illinois, lead to more of our local communities seeing the benefits of local construction employment. Again, this is putting Illinois to work and reaffirming the affordability issue I started this answer with.
As comptroller in the state of Illinois, one of the most important things I can do is to make sure employers are upholding their end of the bargain. Illinois taxpayers’ money invested in Illinois should be returned to the Illinois workers earning prevailing wages and benefits first and as they deserve.
Is there a major policy initiative or financial issue you will look to tackle in the next year?
In my first year, I will focus on modernizing how Illinois moves, tracks, and protects public dollars. As I mentioned in a previous response, too much of our financial infrastructure is outdated.
As Comptroller, I will prioritize three concrete actions:
I will accelerate the shift away from paper checks wherever possible. Paper checks are vulnerable to interception and theft, and that is costing taxpayers real money. Secure electronic payments with clear documentation are faster, safer, and more transparent.
I will strengthen cybersecurity and data protections across the office. The Comptroller safeguards billions of dollars and highly sensitive personal information. That requires modern software, proper staff training, and strict controls to prevent misuse or improper data sharing.
My niche specialty is protecting privacy rights. I am a privacy rights advocate who follows the ACLU and stays informed on emerging threats to personal data. I believe the government has a responsibility to safeguard citizens’ information and prevent it from being misused. We need someone who will stand up to federal MAGA overreach, ensure accountability, and make sure that personal and financial data is never treated as a political tool. Strong protections, transparency, and clear guardrails are essential so technology serves the people.
As Lake County Treasurer, I modernized systems, eliminated inefficiencies, and generated millions in additional revenue by managing public funds responsibly. I know these upgrades are not glamorous and they are not easy to launch, but they are essential.
If you are elected, what would the end of a successful four-year term look like for you?
My specialty is creating tangible change in government. As soon as I get in, I want to process map as I did for my office of Lake County Treasurer for efficiency and getting rid of duplication. I would like to continue the credit upgrades by being fiscally prudent and paying our bills on time. I’m the only one running who has had executive roles managing government staff directly, and direct oversight and access to multiple taxing bodies’ bank accounts and logins. I cannot stress this enough that the next 3 years will be very rocky with Trump in office cutting federal funding. This is a real money job, and it demands a real money person.
I aim to expand the Prevailing Wage Department to include regional representation. As I’ve traveled across the state, I’ve seen that unions maintain regional offices to respond quickly and efficiently. The Comptroller’s office should operate the same way. By having regional liaisons, investigators could respond faster to complaints, conduct site visits more efficiently, and reduce unnecessary travel. This would make enforcement more effective, ensure workers are paid fairly, and make better use of taxpayer dollars.
I will work to continue expanding financial literacy efforts, especially for young people. Many students and young adults are interested in building careers as influencers, entrepreneurs, or content creators, and they can help with financial literacy efforts for the youth. Young people would be more receptive to hearing about the basics of managing money from someone who looks like them and has had the same experiences.
For me personally, success would mean leaving the office stronger than I found it, and building on the progress that Susana Mendoza has made.
What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive?
As Lake County Treasurer, I take pride in our customer service department. Even as the government becomes more digital, people still deserve the human touch. That’s why my office maintains live customer service staff who are bilingual and able to assist residents in multiple languages, and that’s what I want to bring to the comptroller’s office. Accessibility and intentionality are essential for good leadership. I make sure the office meets people where they are not just online, but in person, on the phone, and through clear, understandable communication. Additionally, all of my explanation videos include captions so everyone can access the information, no matter their needs. The government works best when it is both efficient and approachable.
On the campaign trail, I learned that trust is built by showing up. That means being present in communities, listening to people’s concerns, and creating partnerships so residents can access help close to home especially in rural and undeserved areas. I also plan to use modern tools to make information accessible and easy to understand, including explanation videos, podcasts, and infographics. The government works when people not only have access to services but also understand how those services work and how public dollars are being used.
Currently, we have staff institute days at the County Treasurer’s office where we shut down the office for crucial training and strengthening team morale. I lead with respect for the people who do the work. Staff training, continuing education, clear expectations, and a culture of service matter. An office that supports its employees is better equipped to serve the public.