Susana Mendoza
2016 - Present
2027
8
Susana Mendoza (Democratic Party) is the Illinois Comptroller. She assumed office on December 5, 2016. Her current term ends on January 11, 2027.
Mendoza (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Illinois Comptroller. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Mendoza was a Democratic representative for the 1st District in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2001 to 2011. Mendoza was elected as Chicago's first female city clerk in 2011, serving until 2016.[1] She was a 2019 candidate for mayor of Chicago.
Mendoza responded to Ballotpedia's unique candidate survey for 2019 Chicago candidates. The survey questions were developed with input from more than 100 Chicagoans in the months preceding the 2019 election. Here is one selected response:
"My first act as mayor will be to create an Anti-Corruption, Accountability, and Ethics Commission that will guide my administration forward as we work to clean up corruption in Chicago. We will fight to increase transparency, hold elected officials accountable, and end the patronage schemes and pay-to-play deals that have been a black eye to Chicago for too long. I’m also committed to ending the practice of aldermanic prerogative, which inhibits economic growth and breeds corruption."
Click here to read more of Mendoza's responses.
Biography
Mendoza received her bachelor’s degree from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) in 1994. Mendoza's career experience includes working as a coordinator of business outreach for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development.[2][3][4]
In addition to her political career, she worked as a business outreach coordinator for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development. Mendoza also participated in the U.S. Department of State’s Professional Speaker’s Program.[5][6][7]
Political career
Illinois Comptroller (2016 - Present)
Mendoza was elected Illinois comptroller on November 8, 2016. She was elected to serve out the remaining two years of Judy Baar Topinka's term. Mendoza was sworn into office on December 5, 2016.[8]
Illinois House of Representatives (2001-2011)
Mendoza served in the Illinois House of Representatives, representing District 1, from 2001 to February 2011.
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Mendoza was appointed to the following committees:
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Mendoza served on the following committees:
- Bio-Technology (Vice Chair)
- International Trade & Commerce (Chair)
- Labor
- Public Utilities
- Railroad Industry
Elections
2022
See also: Illinois Comptroller election, 2022
General election
General election for Illinois Comptroller
Incumbent Susana Mendoza defeated Shannon Teresi, Deirdre McCloskey, and Jeffrey English in the general election for Illinois Comptroller on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Susana Mendoza (D) | 57.1 | 2,331,714 |
 | Shannon Teresi (R) | 41.0 | 1,676,637 | |
 | Deirdre McCloskey (L) | 1.9 | 76,808 | |
| Jeffrey English (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 25 | |
| Total votes: 4,085,184 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller
Incumbent Susana Mendoza advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susana Mendoza | 100.0 | 838,155 |
| Total votes: 838,155 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller
Shannon Teresi advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Shannon Teresi | 100.0 | 666,835 |
| Total votes: 666,835 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Michael Kinney (R)
2019
See also: Mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois (2019)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Chicago
Lori Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in the general runoff election for Mayor of Chicago on April 2, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan) | 73.7 | 386,039 |
 | Toni Preckwinkle (Nonpartisan) | 26.3 | 137,765 | |
| Total votes: 523,804 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Mayor of Chicago
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Chicago on February 26, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan) | 17.5 | 97,667 |
| ✔ | | Toni Preckwinkle (Nonpartisan) | 16.0 | 89,343 |
 | Bill Daley (Nonpartisan) | 14.8 | 82,294 | |
 | Willie Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 10.6 | 59,072 | |
| Susana Mendoza (Nonpartisan) | 9.0 | 50,373 | |
 | Amara Enyia (Nonpartisan) | 8.0 | 44,589 | |
 | Jerry Joyce (Nonpartisan) | 7.2 | 40,099 | |
 | Gery Chico (Nonpartisan) | 6.2 | 34,521 | |
 | Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan) | 5.4 | 30,236 | |
 | Garry McCarthy (Nonpartisan) | 2.7 | 14,784 | |
 | La Shawn Ford (Nonpartisan) | 1.0 | 5,606 | |
 | Bob Fioretti (Nonpartisan) | 0.8 | 4,302 | |
 | John Kozlar (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 2,349 | |
 | Neal Sáles-Griffin (Nonpartisan) | 0.3 | 1,523 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 86 | ||
| Total votes: 556,844 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Catherine Brown D'Tycoon (Nonpartisan)
- Dorothy Brown (Nonpartisan)
- Ja'Mal Green (Nonpartisan)
- Conrien Hykes Clark (Nonpartisan)
- Sandra Mallory (Nonpartisan)
- Richard Mayers (Nonpartisan)
- Roger Washington (Nonpartisan)
2018
See also: Illinois Comptroller election, 2018
General election
General election for Illinois Comptroller
Incumbent Susana Mendoza defeated Darlene Senger and Claire Ball in the general election for Illinois Comptroller on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susana Mendoza (D) | 59.9 | 2,716,853 |
 | Darlene Senger (R) | 37.0 | 1,678,346 | |
 | Claire Ball (L) | 3.1 | 140,543 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 17 | ||
| Total votes: 4,535,759 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller
Incumbent Susana Mendoza advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susana Mendoza | 100.0 | 1,147,095 |
| Total votes: 1,147,095 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller
Darlene Senger advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois Comptroller on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Darlene Senger | 100.0 | 607,187 |
| Total votes: 607,187 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Primary
Mendoza ran in a special election to replace Republican incumbent Leslie Munger. Potential primary opponent Daniel K. Biss dropped out, leaving Mendoza as the sole Democratic candidate for comptroller in the March 15, 2016, primary. Biss' withdrawal came despite raising $1.5 million in donations, more than Mendoza's $500,000, in the previous fundraising quarter. Biss was quoted in the Chicago Tribune when he dropped out on November 22, 2015: "It was getting to be a more expensive and divisive battle." Biss continued, "I don't think that's what the party needs right now. There's a bigger cause right now."[9][10][11]
General
The general election was on November 2016. Mendoza competed with Munger, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, Libertarian Claire Ball, and Green Party candidate Tim Curtin.[12]
Susana Mendoza defeated Leslie Munger, Claire Ball, and Tim Curtin in the Illinois comptroller election.
| Illinois Comptroller, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Susana Mendoza |
49.45% | 2,676,244 | |
| Republican | Leslie Munger | 44.43% | 2,404,723 | |
| Libertarian | Claire Ball | 3.46% | 187,017 | |
| Green | Tim Curtin | 2.67% | 144,559 | |
| Total Votes | 5,412,543 | |||
| Source: Illinois Secretary of State | ||||
Endorsements
- Illinois State Council of the Service Employees International Union
- Illinois AFL-CIO
- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
- U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.)
- U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.)
- Illinois Democratic Party Chairman and House Speaker Mike Madigan
- Chicago Teachers Union
- Four locals of the Operating Engineers Union
- Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association
- Cook County Democratic Party[11][12][9]
2010
Mendoza won re-election to the 1st District Seat in 2010 with no opposition. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on February 2. The general election took place on November 2, 2010.[13]
| Illinois House of Representatives, District 1 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Susana Mendoza (D)
|
7,210 | 100.0% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Democrat Susana Mendoza won re-election to the Illinois House of Representatives District 1. She ran unopposed receiving 12,132 votes.[14]
| Illinois House of Representatives, District 1 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Susana Mendoza (D)
|
12,132 | |||
2006
On November 7, 2006, Democrat Susana Mendoza won re-election to the Illinois House of Representatives District 1 receiving 8,669 votes, ahead of Republican Suzanne Ramos who received 870 votes.[15]
| Illinois House of Representatives, District 1 (2006) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Susana Mendoza (D)
|
8,669 | |||
| Suzanne Ramos (R) | 870 | |||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Susana Mendoza did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Chicago 2019 Candidate Survey
Susana Mendoza completed Ballotpedia's Chicago candidates survey for 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mendoza's responses.
What do you believe are the greatest needs of kids in school today? How would you prioritize these needs and address them?
My top priority would be bringing greater equity to our public schools. I have a goal to close the achievement gap by 50% over eight years, and every decision I make will be made with an eye towards that critical goal. My second goal is the ensure that there is a focus on quality throughout the Chicago Public School system. From expanding access to models like AP, IB, and STEM programs to protecting the full school day to expanding access to sports and arts programs, I want to ensure that every child that grows up in Chicago gets a first-class education. My next priority would be building up a college and career culture--with a focus on both of those elements. I would focus on college readiness by increasing access to dual credit and dual enrollment programs, which are proven to increase college graduation rates. I would also double down on vocational programs, especially those that are paired with an emphasis on careers in fields where there are workforce shortages. Building an expectation among all Chicago Public School students that they will go on to more opportunities beyond high school is really critical and will be a focus for me.
What are your proposals for supporting children before and after school? What would be your ideal afterschool programs?
I was proud to travel the state with Senator Andy Manar and Representative Will Davis to fight for a fairer school funding formula. As mayor, I’ll ensure that Springfield not only follows through on the promises it made with the implementation of that formula, but I will advocate for additional funding. As mayor, I will earmark a portion of that additional funding for my 50NEW Initiative to double down on 50 underutilized and under-enrolled schools and turn them into true community hubs and stronger academic centers. The initiative would provide wraparound services, including after school supper and mentoring for students and job training for parents, and play a critical role in revitalizing neighborhoods that have been left out of the explosive economic growth of our city’s downtown and left behind by decades of disenfranchisement.
How would you make the city’s policies more responsive to community input instead of donors or special interests?
My first act as mayor will be to create an Anti-Corruption, Accountability, and Ethics Commission that will guide my administration forward as we work to clean up corruption in Chicago. We will fight to increase transparency, hold elected officials accountable, and end the patronage schemes and pay-to-play deals that have been a black eye to Chicago for too long. I’m also committed to ending the practice of aldermanic prerogative, which inhibits economic growth and breeds corruption.
What ideas do you have to reduce the availability of illegal or unregistered guns in Chicago?
One of the core drivers of Chicago’s higher homicide rates is the sheer volume of illegal guns that enter the city. According to a gun trace report prepared by CPD, in 2016 Chicago police recovered 6 times as many guns per capita compared to New York City, and 1.5 times as many guns per capita as Los Angeles. In recent years, two out of five guns recovered were originally purchased from Chicago-area federally-licensed gun dealers. I will support efforts to pass common sense gun control and get illegal guns off the streets. This is an issue where I have been a leader and have a strong track record. In the state legislature, I was a key supporter of legislation allowing for revocation of a firearm owner’s identity card for a parent or guardian who is unable to prevent their child from gaining access to firearms. I also voted in favor of a 30-day waiting period for handguns, and sponsored legislation allowing prosecution of illegal gun sellers for crimes committed with that gun for one year after sale. I also supported the bill passed by the Illinois General Assembly to license gun shops and increase security in those gun shops and was pleased to see Governor Pritzker sign the legislation into law.
How will you help to rebuild trust in the police department and to encourage the community to work with police?
I have a comprehensive plan to reform our broken criminal justice system and build trust between police and all of our communities. I will revamp training for police officers so they prioritize de-escalation and work to intervene in mental health crises. I will also invest in smart community policing by working hand in hand with the Justice Department to implement the consent decree, increase the role of civilians in CPD oversight, and developing an early warning system to catch problem recruits before they put on a uniform and discipline serious offenders in the department. Trust will have to be rebuilt slowly, because in many cases it was lost over long periods of time. Updating policies and procedures to make them more culturally competent and implementing a robust community policing program with outreach and community liaisons will be the foundation upon which relationships between the police and community can be built. With that foundation, everyone can begin to have more honest conversations about why treatment disparities exist and how to remedy them.
How would you ensure that development benefits residents in their neighborhoods and not solely the developers and other interests?
I believe we need to create additional jobs in Chicago’s neighborhoods. That’s why my plan on economic growth begins with a strategy to get more investment in our neighborhoods. I also believe that we need to continue job growth downtown, and make the necessary investments to attract innovative companies and emerging industries, while providing viable transit options for people living outside of the Central Business District to access those jobs. For too long, too many of our neighborhoods have suffered from disinvestment and disenfranchisement that cuts our working families off from opportunities to build true wealth and prosperity. We can reverse this disinvestment in part by intentionally leveraging our downtown success to build an inclusive economy that lifts up our working families. I believe we can revitalize our neighborhoods by expanding access to capital and support for small businesses and development in struggling neighborhoods through the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, setting our students up for success, from expanding universal pre-k to creating fair lending programs for student loans, and strengthening our working families by fully enforcing our labor laws, increasing the minimum wage, and expanding access to the EITC. I would also work to take advantage of the new federal Opportunity Zone tax credits. I’ve said that I would develop a program, linked to the city’s other initiatives from its retail thrive zones to the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund and beyond, to take advantage of this tax credit. With our planning department having identified 133 census tracts for inclusion in the program, there are tremendous opportunities to attract investment to Chicago through this program.
How do you propose to resolve the city’s underfunded pension plan for city employees?
I am proud that as Chicago City Clerk and Illinois State Comptroller I acted as an independent watchdog and advocate who saved taxpayer money, created millions of dollars in new revenue without burdening working families, and brought the offices into the 21st century. I will bring that same advocacy to the Mayor’s office so that we can meet our pension obligations while not balancing our city’s budget on the back of the middle class. I support passage of a progressive state income tax, legalizing marijuana and a Chicago casino, and will advocate for their passage in Springfield in order to generate significant revenue to help the city live up to its promise to our police, firefighters, teachers and other workers.
What’s your opinion on tax increment financing (a program that funds development using any additional property tax revenue that results from an increase in appraised property values)? What, if any, changes would you make to the use of TIF?
While we certainly need to reform the TIF system to ensure that money is being spent to improve public assets, like infrastructure and schools, not to serve as giveaways to wealthy corporations shopping around for new office subsidies, we should also continue to pursue development opportunities throughout the city that can create good paying jobs and revenue for the city that we can reinvest in our neighborhoods. I will expand the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, which takes funds paid by developers to build downtown and invests them in neighborhood projects, especially on the south and west sides. We can pay for additional investments by tapping $250 million in downtown TIF districts that are subject to a freeze put in place by Mayor Emanuel. The funds cannot be used elsewhere in the city due to an Illinois law that restricts TIF use to projects located within or adjacent to the districts where the TIF funds are generated, trapping too many of the dollars downtown. I will use my expertise navigating Springfield to change this law and put dollars to use where they will generate the most impact in our neighborhoods.
How will you address public health concerns such as contaminated drinking water, rat infestation, and lead poisoning?
No family should be afraid to drink water from their faucet. I strongly support efforts at the state level to identify and ameliorate key lead pipe risks, especially in schools and child care centers, and I will fight alongside Governor Pritzker to enact legislation that can help Chicago in replacing dangerous water infrastructure. At the same time that we fight at the federal and state level for resources and help in combating the problem, I will explore options at the city level to replace lead service lines and water mains. ??
How would you make Chicago a cleaner city with less waste and pollution?
I spent the first few years of my childhood in the Little Village community. For too long, areas like Little Village, Pilsen, and neighborhoods on the Southeast Side of the city have been dumping grounds for industrial waste and pollution. We need to ensure that no matter what community you live in, you have the opportunity to life in a safe environment. As mayor, I’ll address historical environmental injustices in two ways. First, I’ll ensure that economic development does not come at the expense of public health and environmental protection. By working on procedures for appropriate zoning and permitting so that waste is not dumped upon particular neighborhoods, we can begin reversing the history of environmental and health burdens that have been placed upon certain parts of the city. However, we must go beyond mitigating the problems of waste and pollution. For communities that have disproportionately borne the brunt of harmful environmental practices, they should disproportionately benefit from the creation of new green jobs and robust green space. As Chicago continues its transition towards clean energy, there should be a particular focus on revitalizing neighborhoods that were affected by discriminatory placement of industrial waste. Additionally, Chicago’s recycling program has been subpar for far too long. From the failed “Blue Bag” initiative to a recycling rate that’s been declining since 2013, it’s clear that there need to be major changes to the management of Chicago’s recycling program. As mayor, I will set a goal of diverting 50% of waste from Chicago’s landfills by 2030. I will begin by examining whether recycling bins are being unnecessarily tagged as contaminated, which diverts recyclable materials to landfills and brings down Chicago’s already abysmal recycling rate. If there are any companies that are intentionally mislabeling recycling, I will hold their feet to the fire. I will also look for opportunities to expand recycling to multi-unit apartments and businesses, and help promote best practices for recycling to Chicagoans.
What would be your first steps for improving the transit system in terms of affordability, accessibility, and safety?
Public transit is the lifeblood of our city, allowing families throughout Chicago to access jobs, retail and family. It’s also far more efficient than travel by automobile, and is increasingly becoming the only reliable form of long-distance transportation. I will continuously explore ways Chicago can invest in creating a robust transportation network that will drive economic development, make investments in neighborhoods that too often lack them, and create a sustainable planet for our next generation. We can start this effort by strengthening and expanding access to the L through leveraging transit TIFs to invest key projects and better integrating CTA and Metra services. I will also look to revitalize bus services by expanding dedicated bus lanes and fighting for a dedicated revenue stream for our buses. In addition to focusing on public transportation, I’ll work on making the rest of our transportation options greener. I’ve been a big supporter of electric vehicles and I would also expand the number of electric vehicle charging stations. Finally, I will work to expand active transportation options that can serve the last mile from home to a public transit hub including bike share, electric scooters, and fully implementing a Vision Zero campaign to make our city more pedestrian friendly. I’ve put out a full plan on transportation that you can read at: https://susanamendoza.com/futurenow/transportation/.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
The following themes were found on Mendoza's 2019 campaign website.
| “ |
PUBLIC SAFETY AND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY Susana Mendoza was born in Little Village on Chicago’s Southwest side to Mexican immigrants. When she was 7 years old, a gang-related murder on the block where she lived drove her parents to leave Chicago. It wasn’t her choice to leave, but it was her choice to come back after she finished school. Susana vowed to return after graduating college to tackle the related issues of violence, education and economic opportunity, and she’s been working to help those in the community she grew up in ever since. Susana’s public safety plan aims to ensure that no family has to leave their neighborhood because they don’t feel safe. As a child from a neighborhood victimized by violence and as the sister of a police detective, Susana sees this issue from a unique perspective that no other candidate for mayor possesses. To address today’s levels of violence and build trust between police and the communities they serve, Susana has a comprehensive strategy that tackles the systemic issues of economic disinvestment, institutional racism, criminal justice inequality, and segregation. Too often, we address these problems when it is too late rather than proactively solving the problem. Susana’s plan takes a holistic view of the crime problem — not just hiring more police, but attacking the root causes of violence by investing in at-risk youth and returning citizens. A STRONG PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL CHICAGOANS As the parent of a 6-year-old attending a neighborhood public school, Susana is deeply and personally invested in the future of Chicago public education. Susana wants parents, grandparents, and teachers to have more of a voice in our schools, and she wants the next mayor to share accountability for improving schools. For too long, education policy has been something done to our communities and done to our families, not worked out with our parents and with our teachers. As mayor, Susana will change that. Access to a quality education is the bedrock of a strong city. Our most pressing problems — from high crime rates to lack of jobs and economic development — can be addressed by ensuring strong neighborhood schools that create opportunity hubs in every community. We should be proud of the success achieved by CPS teachers and administrators, with record-high graduation rates, higher test scores, the largest IB network in the nation, and stabilized finances. But our real work has just begun. We must ensure every child in every community receives the same high-quality education at their neighborhood school. Susana’s education plan is built around a simple goal: to close the achievement gap. Susana believes that we can cut the achievement gap by half in the next eight years and set Chicago Public Schools on a path to eliminate it entirely. While some simply look to the next 50 schools that can be closed, Susana’s 50NEW (Neighborhood Education Works) Initiative is focused on doubling down on the neediest schools by expanding wrap-around services, increasing the number of social workers, and investing in school-based supports in high-poverty schools. Where buildings are underutilized, she will work to put unused space to use by offering subsidized rent to local nonprofits so that our schools become true community hubs. PRIORITIZE STRATEGIES THAT ENSURE INVESTMENTS AND JOB CREATION Decades of discriminatory policies on the federal, state, and local level have created communities suffering from disenfranchisement and disinvestment with little opportunity to build long-term wealth and prosperity. According to a study from the University of Illinois at Chicago, inequality in Chicago has been growing over the past 40 years, and the number of concentrated areas where wealthy individuals live, especially on the North Side of the city, has quadrupled. Meanwhile, we continue to see the expansion of areas that are low-income with high poverty rates on the South and West sides of the city. For the first time, Chicago is on firmer financial footing to tackle these issues. To ensure every neighborhood in the city thrives, especially those with high rates of poverty, Susana will prioritize strategies that ensure investments and job creation focus on these communities by leveraging the rapid downtown growth to bring more resources and investment to neighborhoods suffering from low opportunity. READ INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH DETAILS FIXING CITY FINANCES WHILE PROTECTING WORKING FAMILIES As State Comptroller, Susana led the state through the worst fiscal crisis in its history, helped to calm the markets and prioritized funding for the people that needed it the most. As the next mayor, she will draw on those experiences to lead Chicago forward. Unfunded pension obligations, structural deficits and inadequate education funding will require the next mayor to exercise discipline while raising hundreds of millions of dollars in new sources of revenue from a tax-strapped population. Susana will work to put our city’s pension funds on a sounder footing — ensuring that the city lives up to its promise to hundreds of thousands of first responders, teachers, and city employees — without balancing the budget on the backs of working-class families. There is no magic solution. A comprehensive and fair fiscal strategy will require the next mayor to use multiple tools — from cutting expenses, to finding efficiencies, to fighting for Chicago’s fair share in Springfield. Susana’s plan is built on her experience at the city and state level, her understanding of the stresses faced by families in Chicago’s neighborhoods, and her record of lowering costs before asking taxpayers to pay more. This unique combination of discipline, relationships, and neighborhood values will guide all fiscal decisions while ensuring Chicago remains a competitive business environment. READ PROGRESSIVE REVENUE DETAILS CREATING A RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK TO FOSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZE NEIGHBORHOODS Billions of dollars of local, state, and federal investments have been made to modernize and expand the city’s air, water, rail, and road infrastructure networks over the last decade. Susana will explore ways the city can continue to invest in creating a reliable transportation network that will foster economic development and revitalize neighborhoods hurt by decades of disinvestment, providing communities with better access to jobs and economic opportunities, and connecting every community with downtown. Special attention will be paid to opportunities in the most efficient and equitable modes of transportation, as well as cost-benefit analysis of different investments. REFORMING PRACTICES IN THE CITY COUNCIL TO REDUCE CORRUPTION Illinois’ political culture is broken. According to a report by the University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago continues to be the most corrupt city in the country, with over 1,700 corruption convictions in the last 40 years in the Northern Illinois Federal Judicial District, more than any other city. From former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who Susana helped lead the impeachment charge against, to the 30 Chicago aldermen who have been convicted of political corruption since 1973, it’s clear that Chicago has a problem and needs to open a new chapter of transparency and accountability. Susana will lead the way by adopting transparency throughout her administration, reforming practices in the City Council to reduce corruption, and fighting to make campaigns more democratic. FIGHTING FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY The progress the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement has achieved speaks to the persistence and resolve of this community, its willingness to stand up for justice and great, diverse coalitions. Today in Illinois, marriage equality is the law of the land, we’ve implemented some of the strongest civil rights protections in the country, and we’re making great strides in education, non-discrimination and gender identity. But still, neighborhoods just miles away in Chicago can feel like worlds apart. Access to resources shouldn’t be dependent on your zip code. Fair treatment in the criminal justice system shouldn’t hinge on your gender identity. And LGBTQ+ kids deserve all the rights and respect given to their non-LGBTQ+ peers. Susana has never been on the sidelines when it comes to full LGBTQ+ equality. She has been on the front lines, even at times when it may have been politically difficult. As a legislator, in 2005, she supported the LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination protections considered among the strongest in the nation. And when the fight for marriage equality came to the Land of Lincoln, Susana was again on the side of justice, voting for civil unions in 2010 and advocating for full marriage equality in our state. SAFETY, HEALTH, AND EMPOWERMENT (SHE) PLAN FOR WOMEN Susana believes women’s rights are human rights. As the first woman elected Chicago City Clerk—and as a mom—she knows gender equality is critical to the city’s future. Mayor Mendoza will fight to ensure every woman in every neighborhood can thrive. The SHE Plan includes three pillars to support women: Safety, Health, and Empowerment. |
” |
| —Susana Mendoza's 2019 campaign website[17] | ||
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
Mendoza stated the following about her political philosophy in a biographical submission to Ballotpedia:[18]
| “ | PRIORITY 1
PRIORITY 2
PRIORITY 3
|
” |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Susana Mendoza's 2019 campaign website, "Biography," accessed February 18, 2019
- ↑ Illinois State Comptroller, “Susana A. Mendoza,” accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Illinois General Assembly, “Biography: Representative Susana Mendoza (D),” accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Susana Mendoza for Comptroller, “Susana’s Biography,” accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Illinois State Comptroller, “Susana A. Mendoza,” accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Illinois General Assembly, “Biography: Representative Susana Mendoza (D),” accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Susana Mendoza for Comptroller, “Susana’s Biography,” accessed January 20, 2023
- ↑ Illinois Comptroller, "Illinois Comptroller Mendoza takes oath and announces transition team members," December 5, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, "City Clerk Mendoza gets major union backing in state comptroller bid," September 23, 2015
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List: General Primary - 3/15/2016," accessed November 30, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Natasha Korecki, Politico New York, "Biss to drop out of comptroller race, making way for Mendoza," November 20, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Greg Hinz, Crain's Chicago Business, "City Clerk Mendoza steps up campaign for Illinois comptroller," June 5, 2015
- ↑ Illinois Elections Division, "Illinois Official 2010 General Election Results," November 2, 2010
- ↑ Illinois House of Representatives official election results for 2008
- ↑ Illinois House of Representatives official election results for 2006
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Susana Mendoza's 2019 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 18, 2019
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form on March 1, 2018
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Leslie Munger (R) |
Illinois Comptroller 2016-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Illinois House of Representatives District 1 2001-2011 |
Succeeded by - |
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