SPRINGFIELD — In a race that took nearly two full days to decide, North Side lawmaker Margaret Croke secured the Democratic nomination for Illinois comptroller on Thursday, edging out west suburban state Sen. Karina Villa.

With 92% of the estimated vote totals counted, Croke of Chicago won with 34.6%, followed by Villa of West Chicago, who had 32.3%, according to The Associated Press. Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim of Mundelein finished in third place with 24.4%, and state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego finished last with 8.7%, the AP results showed.

Although Croke had said late on Tuesday that she was confident she would prevail, the race had been too close to call, with Villa refusing to concede even as Croke held a steady but narrow lead. The AP called the race for Croke on Thursday afternoon.

In a brief interview Thursday after the AP called the race, Croke said she was “incredibly honored” to have the trust and support of “so many different people across the state.”

“I take this really seriously and I’m excited to go into a general (election) running on the issues that I ran on in the primary, which is affordability, making sure that people know how their taxpayer dollars are spent and that I’m going to leave the state better than I found it for future generations,” she said. “I think that a lot of people resonated with the fact that I’m a young mom and I want to make sure my kids have the opportunities in the state of Illinois.”

In a statement, Villa said she’s proud of the work she and her campaign did “to change the conversation about the impact the IL Comptroller has in shaping public policy.”

“I firmly believe that our Comptroller should not just manage the books but also be a vocal leader against austerity and an advocate for progressive revenue so that federal cuts do not hurt the investments Illinois must continue to make to protect working people,” she said. “I sincerely hope Rep. Croke will carry on this mantle.”

The comptroller’s race was the only competitive Democratic primary for a state office, following Democratic incumbent Susana Mendoza’s decision last year not to run for a fourth term. Mendoza had endorsed Kim in the campaign.

Croke’s victory was aided by a strong showing in suburban Cook County, where she defeated Villa by more than 13 percentage points. Croke, who has represented Chicago’s North Side since 2021, actually lost to Villa in the city of Chicago by about 4 percentage points, according to unofficial results. In the collar counties, Croke won McHenry and Will counties, while Villa won DuPage and Kane counties. Kim won her home county of Lake. In St. Clair County, a key Democratic battleground in the Metro East area outside of St. Louis, Croke won by more than 4 percentage points over Villa.

With her primary win, Croke is set to face Republican Bryan Drew of downstate Benton in the November election. Croke is already considered a front-runner in the race, with all statewide offices held by Democrats.

Croke’s nomination marks another victory for Gov. JB Pritzker, who backed her and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s successful bid for the Democratic nomination to fill the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. Croke secured Pritzker’s endorsement last month, having worked for him in his campaign and governmental capacities.

“Congratulations to Margaret Croke for securing the Democratic nomination for Illinois Comptroller,” Pritzker said in a statement. “As Deputy Chief of Staff for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and as a member of the legislature, Margaret has always been committed to responsible fiscal management and improving the lives of hardworking Illinoisans. She knows how to get things done, and I know she will hit the ground running on day one fighting for Illinois families.”

Unlike the Illinois treasurer, who handles the state’s investments and oversees a college savings program, the comptroller pays the state’s bills, monitors fiscal compliance, records transactions and contracts, and issues reports that guide the governor and legislature on budget decisions. In one of its more obscure functions, the office also licenses certain private cemeteries.

Croke has said she would want to improve the comptroller’s predictive financial modeling tools, revamp its vendor payment program to help businesses and nonprofits weather potential federal funding cuts from the administration of Republican President Donald Trump and make it easier for small municipalities — often short on staff and expertise — to submit the audits required by law.

The comptroller is also looked at historically as an independent fiscal watchdog for the state, prompting Croke to have to face questions during her campaign over whether she can be independent from Pritzker, a billionaire governor who also contributed $72,800 to her campaign on Feb. 10, according to Illinois State Board of Elections records.

Croke has previously told the Tribune she has “no issue as it pertains to being independent,” but that doesn’t mean she can’t be collaborative.

“As someone who has worked for Governor Pritzker, he does not surround himself with people who are just ‘yes’ people. He appreciates being challenged,” she said in an interview last month. “So, you know, I’m very proud of the fact that I earned the governor’s support. I had to work incredibly hard for that support, and I think that he has endorsed me because he thinks I’m the best person for this job, regardless of our back history.”

Croke entered 2026 with a commanding financial advantage over her primary opponents, ending last year with more than $833,000 in her campaign fund — more than her three Democratic rivals combined.

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