Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza will not seek reelection to the post she has held since 2016, she announced Wednesday. 

The news does not come as a surprise, as Mendoza has been rumored to be eyeing a run for mayor of Chicago in 2027. She did not commit to running for mayor during her announcement but left the door open to the possibility, saying she’s going to take some time to look for her next “biggest challenge.”  

“I feel that I deliver time after time for constituents,” she said. “I've never taken a position because it's easy. I've only taken a position when I thought they weren't on target and when it's most challenging, because that's where I can make the most impact.”  

Mendoza was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2001 to 2011. She then became the first woman to hold the position of Chicago City Clerk before successfully running for state comptroller in a 2016 special election.  

She’s lauded her tenure as comptroller as one of fiscal responsibility, touting the state’s nine credit upgrades, growth in the rainy day fund and paid down bill backlog as successes of her time.  

Mendoza previously ran for mayor of Chicago in 2019, coming in fifth with 9 percent of the vote in the election. She endorsed former Mayor Lori Lightfoot over Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle in the runoff election that year.  

Mendoza’s been a staunch critic of Mayor Brandon Johnson, criticizing the city’s shaky fiscal standing and the mayor’s public safety policies.  

“Chicago is in need of competency,” Mendoza said Wednesday. “Someone who understands the needs of the city, who understands how important the city is to the good functioning of the whole state.”  

She went on to say the city has had two "unsuccessful" mayors in a row.  

Mendoza has continued to fundraise and has more than $1.3 million in her campaign fund, as of the end of June. That money can be used for local or state elections.   

She said she learned a lot from her unsuccessful 2019 campaign, and noted she lost her first campaign for state representative.  

Mendoza said she made her decision now to give candidates for the position time. The Cook County Democratic Party will meet on Thursday and Friday for candidate slating, giving candidates the opportunity to present their platforms in hopes of receiving the party’s endorsement.  

State Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) is believed to be interested in the position. Croke is the former deputy chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and chairs the Illinois House’s Financial Institutions and Licensing committee and the Tax Policy: Income Tax subcommittee.   

In a statement, Croke thanked Mendoza for her time as comptroller, especially during the two-year budget impasse.  

“As Governor Pritzker and Illinois Democrats worked to shore up our rainy day fund and pay off our bill backlog, Comptroller Mendoza set an example for responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” Croke said. “I’m grateful for her leadership and the strong path she has charted in the Comptroller’s Office. With chaos unfolding at the national level, Illinoisans need steady state leadership and deserve a comptroller who is prepared to lead with transparency, efficiency, and integrity.”