84th District representative and Marine Corps veteran brings 12 years of budget expertise to comptroller race
When Illinois faced a devastating two-and-a-half-year budget impasse under Governor Bruce Rauner, most state representatives watched from the sidelines. Stephanie Kifowit was in the room, working as part of the budget working group that ultimately resolved the crisis. That experience, she argues, is exactly what the state’s next Comptroller needs.
Kifowit’s qualifications extend far beyond her legislative service. A United States Marine Corps veteran with over 20 years of experience in the financial industry, she brings both military discipline and financial expertise to her candidacy.
“I am rooted in a service, mission-driven attitude,” she explains, describing how her Marine Corps background shaped her approach to public service.
Her academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis on government finance from Northern Illinois University. Before entering the legislature, she worked as a registered financial advisor with Morgan Stanley. She served nearly 10 years as an Alderman for the City of Aurora, where she helped manage a budget of approximately $500 million.
This combination—military service, financial industry experience, local government budget management, and 12 years on key state budget committees—forms the foundation of Kifowit’s argument that she’s uniquely qualified for the Comptroller position.
When asked about the single most important responsibility of the Illinois Comptroller, Kifowit doesn’t hesitate: ensuring financial accountability and transparency for the state’s $124 billion budget.
“I’m the most experienced one for this position and the one that really can start day one without a learning curve and keep the good momentum that current Comptroller Susanna Mendoza has put into place and bring that to the next level,” Kifowit states.
Kifowit Proposes “People First Initiative” for the Comptroller’s Office
The plan includes the creation of a first-ever Labor Division, a Nonprofit and Community-Based Division, and a Computer Modernization Plan. This dashboard is designed to enhance transparency, allowing stakeholders and the community to easily track and understand state funding and partnerships, thereby holding the state accountable for its obligations.
Labor Division for Worker Protection
The first component would create a new labor division within the Comptroller’s office to expand auditing beyond prevailing wage compliance to include OSHA standards enforcement and wage theft prevention.
Nonprofit and Organizational Division
The second component addresses a problem that has plagued Illinois nonprofits for years: delayed payments from the state that force community organizations to take on debt while waiting for money they’re owed.
Kifowit proposes creating a dedicated nonprofit and organizational division within the Comptroller’s office to provide specialized support and speed up payments to these groups.
“If the state is causing a nonprofit or a small organization to incur debt because they’re not getting paid on time, the state has an obligation to make up for that too,” Kifowit states.
As Illinois voters prepare to choose their next Comptroller, Kifowit presents a candidacy built on demonstrable experience, specific policy proposals, and a clear vision for expanding the office’s role in protecting workers and community organizations.
Whether voters prioritize experience over fresh perspectives, continuity over change, or expanded oversight over traditional roles will determine how Kifowit’s message resonates. But her argument is clear: when it comes to managing $124 billion in taxpayer money, experience matters—and she has more of it than anyone else in the race.
