On Monday, state Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago officially announced her bid for Illinois comptroller in the 2026 election.

She joins a growing list of candidates vying for the seat after current Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced last month that she wouldn’t seek reelection , leaving open the possibility of challenging Brandon Johnson in a bid for Chicago mayor.

Villa, a Democrat, has been the state senator for District 25 — which includes portions of municipalities like Aurora, West Chicago and South Elgin — since 2020, when she defeated Republican Jeanette Ward and, in doing so, flipped a Republican-held seat, according to past reporting.

Before that, she was the state representative for the 49th District. She also served as a West Chicago School District board member, and s

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