Croke Wins Democratic Comptroller Primary
Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) cheers as election results come in Tuesday night. Croke was declared the winner of the Democratic primary for State Comptroller Thursday. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago), buoyed by the endorsement and cash of Gov. JB Pritzker, was declared the winner of the Democratic primary for State Comptroller Thursday, advancing her as a heavy favorite in the November general election.
The Associated Press called the race for Croke Thursday afternoon, some 45 hours after the polls closed Thursday night.
As of around 5pm Thursday, the Associated Press reported Croke led Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) with 34.6% to Villa’s 32.3%. Croke led Villa with around 391,000 votes to 364,000 votes with around 92% of the vote counted.
“I am running for this office to be a fiscal watchdog who will protect taxpayer dollars, ensure transparency in how our state spends money, and pay bills on time,” Croke said in a statement following the race call Thursday. “I am incredibly grateful that my message is resonating with so many people across our state.”
Villa, who ran a progressive campaign, issued a statement Thursday.
“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.”
Croke will face Republican Bryan Drew, a largely unknown downstate attorney, in the November election.
