Statewide Constitutional and Regional Officials

Accomplishments

• Only candidate already doing the job. I cannot stress enough that this position is a full time executive management role that cannot misplace a single cent. I’m the only candidate that has experience overseeing and administering billions in public funds every year, every dollar authorized under my name.

• History of delivering tangibly for the people. Produced $6.4 million in interest and gave money back directly to local schools, libraries, and taxing bodies. Delivered more than 100 financial literacy workshops, giving residents practical tools to build financial stability.

• Modernized the Treasurer’s Office to make it better for residents AND the staff. Digitized work so staff could have 2 work from home days. Eliminated duplication, increased efficiency, cut fees, and published unclaimed funds online for the first time.

Priorities When Elected

• I am an outsider that will be a fierce - independent fiscal watchdog. I will ensure every taxpayer dollar is tracked, protected, and spent with transparency, holding contractors accountable, enforcing prevailing wage laws, and putting the public interest ahead of political insiders.

• Modernizing Illinois’ financial systems by streamlining payment processing, eliminating duplication, and improving cybersecurity, making state government work faster, more efficiently, and more transparently for residents and local governments. I am the only candidate with direct experience launching software - including the difficulties that come with it. 

•  As privacy rights champion, I will protect against Trump and MAGA overreach by securing the private data of more than 60,000 state employees, all Illinois State pensions, and all of our tax return data. No one’s personal information should ever be weaponized for politics.

Holly Deserves Your Vote Because…

I bring something rare in Illinois politics: real fiscal experience, real results, and real integrity.

• I have done the job. As Lake County Treasurer, I already perform the core functions of the Comptroller, managing billions in public dollars, writing checks, ensuring accountability, and delivering record investment earnings for schools, libraries, and local governments. Voters want someone who can walk into the job on day one with hands-on experience, not just theory.

• I deliver measurable results that help people. Two years in a row, my office produced over $3 million in new investment earnings, without raising taxes, sending money directly back into classrooms and community services. I reduced tax penalties on low-income residents, expanded access to credit unions, and held over 100 financial literacy workshops. Voters see the impact of that work in their own communities.

• I am a people-first, fiscal watchdog. I show up in every community, suburban, urban, and rural, and I listen. I’m not tied to political insiders or powerful interests. Voters know I will put transparency, accountability, and fairness first, always.

• My personal story reflects the struggles and hopes of Illinois families. As the daughter of Korean immigrants, a young mother who relied on WIC and Medicaid to stay in school, and someone who worked full-time while taking classes part-time for eight and a half years, I understand what working families face. People connect with leaders who have lived their challenges, not just talked about them.

• I represent real progress and historic possibility. I would be the first Asian American ever elected to a statewide constitutional office in Illinois. My campaign already demonstrates deep grassroots strength, with 16,500 petition signatures gathered by more than 500 volunteers from nearly every county - the most turned in by any comptroller candidate. People see a movement, not just a campaign.

• Voters believe in leaders who are authentic. I don’t hide what I stand for, whether marching in the No Kings protest, setting up two rapid response networks for immigrant families, or advocating for justice and equity even when criticized. People are inspired by leaders who are real, who show courage, and who speak up when it matters.

In short, voters will be inspired to choose me because they know I will protect their tax dollars, fight for fairness, modernize our financial systems, and never forget where I came from or who I serve.

Why are you a Democrat?

I am a Democrat because I believe in people. I believe he in the dignity of work, in fairness, and in the power of a community that takes care of its own. I am a first generation Mexican American and a third generation union member who grew up sweeping floors in my parents’ small business. I learned early that hard work alone is not enough if the systems around you are broken. Before I ran for office, I spent fifteen years as a school social worker in West Chicago helping families navigate those systems. I saw how decisions made in Springfield or Washington determine whether a child eats, whether a parent keeps a job, and whether a family can stay in their home. I joined this fight because our state should make life easier for the people who keep it working. I am proud to be a Democrat because this is the party that believes in working people, in fairness, and in the promise that progress only matters when it reaches everyone. That belief is more than a slogan to me. It is the work I have done my entire career and the work I will keep doing every day that I have the privilege to serve.

Accomplishments

Led the passage of Safe Schools for All, a law that prohibits schools from disclosing a student’s immigration status or threatening to do so, protecting immigrant families and creating safer educational environments. 

Fought to expand reproductive and maternal health access across Illinois, including passing legislation to protect abortion providers and patients, and to ensure pregnant people receive the care they need before, during, and after childbirth.

Secured historic investments in public education and social services by advocating for progressive revenue and fair taxation, so that Illinois can close corporate loopholes and fund its priorities without putting the burden on working families.

Priorities When Elected

Ensure that funding for social service providers and community organizations reaches people on time and where it’s needed most, especially for children, families, and those who depend on state support. 

Strengthen accountability in state spending so that every dollar is transparent and tied to real results for working people. 

Use the power of the Comptroller’s office to expose inequities in our revenue system, advocate for fair taxation, and show how progressive investment in schools, infrastructure, and health care builds a stronger Illinois for everyone.

Karina Deserves Your Vote Because…

People will be inspired to vote for me because I do not flinch when it comes to fighting for what is right. I have seen what happens when government forgets who it works for. I ran for office to change that, and I have not stopped since. In the Senate, I have stood with working people, immigrant families, and all communities whose rights are under attack. I have fought to make Illinois a place where every person can live with dignity and safety. That work is not easy, but it is necessary, and I will always show up for it. As Comptroller, I will keep doing what I have always done: speak truth, take action, and make sure the resources of this state serve the people who build it. Budgets are moral documents. Every line item is a promise. I intend to keep them.

I am a Democrat because I believe in individual liberty, the preservation of the rule of law and the fact that we are all responsible for our entire community.

Why are you a Democrat?

I am a Democrat because I believe the government should be a force for improving people’s lives, expanding opportunity, and protecting the dignity of every person. I believe in policies that lift up working families, ensure every community has the resources it needs to thrive, protect reproductive freedom, support labor, and build an economy that works for everyone. I have also dedicated much of my career to helping elect leaders who share these values. I worked on Hilary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and I served as JB Pritzker’s Director of Women’s Outreach during his first campaign for governor, working to bring women across Illinois into the political process and ensure their voices shaped the future of our state. Those experiences reinforced my belief that when Democrats organize, elevate diverse perspectives, and fight for working families, real progress follows. Most importantly, these values matter to me because of my three young children. I want them to grow up in a state where fairness, opportunity, and compassion guide our choices. These are the principles I will continue to carry with me throughout the rest of my career and hopefully as your next Comptroller.

Accomplishments

After serving as Governor Pritzker’s Women’s Outreach Director during the 2018 campaign, I helped lead efforts on his transition team to rebuild Illinois and end the Rauner administration’s strongly anti-union agenda. As Deputy Chief of Staff at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, I oversaw efforts to modernize and strengthen major statewide initiatives in economic development, infrastructure investment, grantmaking, and workforce development. This work was critical to getting Illinois back on track and reestablishing our priorities, including supporting and strengthening the labor movement. 

As a member of the House Dobbs Working Group, formed after Roe was overturned, I have worked to advance strong protections for women’s health in Illinois, voting for and strongly supporting House Bill 1464 to shield Illinois providers from other states’ punitive abortion laws and House Resolution 94 to secure full funding for Planned Parenthood. I also led the passage of landmark legislation, HB 3709, which expands access to infertility insurance coverage by broadening the definition of infertility beyond heterosexual couples and ensuring coverage parity, strengthening reproductive healthcare access for thousands of Illinoisans.

As Chief Co-Sponsor of HB562, I led efforts to expand background checks on all gun sales in Illinois and modernize the FOID/CCL system. This legislation also secured funding for mental health programs in communities most affected by gun violence. Throughout my legislative career, I have consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to keeping our communities safe and prioritizing public safety.

Priorities When Elected

I will modernize outdated financial systems to increase transparency in state spending from appropriation to payment, while simplifying processes for small vendors, nonprofits, and municipalities through dedicated technical assistance and proactive compliance guidance.

I will reform the Vendor Payment Program (VPP) so financial firms make blind, state-backed investments rather than selecting vendors, increasing access for small and medium-sized businesses and improving cash-flow stability during constrained revenue periods. 

I will prioritize payments to social service agencies and small and medium sized non-profits who play a critical role in our communities with minimal resources.

Margaret Deserves Your Vote Because…

As a legislator, I have built a proven track record of fighting for responsible budgets that protect critical services for Illinois families while keeping our state on a stable fiscal path so we can continue investing in our communities for years to come. I have brought together diverse coalitions of stakeholders, advocates, and legislators to pass meaningful, people-focused legislation, from expanding IVF insurance coverage to advancing tax credits that drive economic development and support well-paying union jobs across Illinois. As Chair of the House Financial Institutions Committee, I have become the state’s leading voice on depositories, payment processing, and financial technology, experience that uniquely positions me to modernize the Office of the Comptroller for the future. My time as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity taught me what it takes to run one of Illinois’ largest agencies and oversee the billions of dollars that move through it. I saw firsthand how efficiency, transparency, and collaboration can deliver real results for working families. Above all, I am running because I am a mom of three young children, and I want to build a state that gives every child the stability, opportunity, and future they deserve. I am committed to doing the hard, detail-oriented work that keeps Illinois strong not just for today but for the next generation. I hope voters see in me someone guided by both experience and purpose, and someone who will bring integrity, competence, and heart to the Comptroller’s office.