Susana Mendoza

State representative (2001–2011)

In 1998, Mendoza ran for office in the 1st Legislative District with the support of the regular Democratic Organization but narrowly lost to independent progressive incumbent Sonia Silva, who was backed by House Speaker Mike Madigan.^[9][10] In 1999, with support from the Hispanic Democratic Organization, she coordinated a controversial aldermanic runoff campaign in Chicago's First Ward for Machine incumbent and mayoral loyalist Jesse Granato.^[11] The following year, with endorsements from Mayor Daley and the Hispanic Democratic Organization, Mendoza ran a second time to secure a position as an Illinois State Representative. At 28, she became the youngest member of the 92nd Illinois General Assembly.^[12]

During her tenure, Mendoza chaired the International Trade and Commerce Committee, Vice-chairwoman of the Bio-Technology Committee and was a member of the Labor, Public Utilities and Railroad Industry committees of the House.^[13] She co-chaired the Conference of Women Legislators, helped establish the first Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus, and passed a bill to provide school children with breakfast.^[13][14]

Mendoza served as an Illinois Democratic delegate in the primary elections for presidential candidates Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.^[15] In 2002, she visited the African countries of Uganda and Tanzania as a delegate for the American Council of Young Political Leaders.^[16] In June 2004, the State Department selected Mendoza to represent the National Democratic Party in Brazil, where she debated the party's presidential platform.^[16] In 2010, Mendoza was a member of a delegation of U.S. elected women from across the nation selected by the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, who served as official Election Observers of the Iraqi elections in Baghdad.^[17][18]

City Clerk of Chicago (2011–2016)

Mendoza was the first woman to hold the position of City Clerk in Chicago.^[19] As the 43rd City Clerk of Chicago, Mendoza used technology to modernize and improve city services, such as an online document management system and year-round city vehicle sticker sales. She also worked to modernize the city's infrastructure, including expanding services for minority and immigrant communities.^[20]

After her election in 2011, she managed an office that generated over $100 million annually from vehicle sticker sales. She reformed the city's vehicle sticker program from an annual event in place since 1908 to a year-round system, achieving an annual savings of approximately $4 million.^[21]

She initiated the Companion Animal and Consumer Protection Ordinance, which prohibited Chicago pet stores from selling dogs, cats or rabbits unless sourced from humane shelters or animal rescues.^[22][23]

2019 Chicago mayoral candidacy

On November 2, 2018, a video from Mendoza's campaign became public, showing her plans to run for Mayor of Chicago in 2019 while she was also seeking re-election as comptroller.^[24][25] She officially announced her mayoral candidacy on November 14, aiming to succeed Mayor Rahm Emanuel.^[12]

On December 14, 2018, another mayoral candidate, Toni Preckwinkle, contested Mendoza's 12,500 petition signatures required for ballot eligibility, citing potential fraud and inconsistencies.^[26] However, after a verification process, Preckwinkle withdrew her challenge on December 19, acknowledging that Mendoza had secured over 13,000 valid signatures.^[27]

During the early stages of her campaign, Mendoza was one of the leading candidates in both polling and fundraising.^[28] Public polls in late 2018 frequently showed Mendoza and Preckwinkle as the frontrunners.^[29][30] However, by January 2019, Mendoza's standing in polls fluctuated, and by February, she was not leading in any polls.^[31][32]

Preckwinkle and Mendoza, along with several candidates were linked to Alderman Edward M. Burke which influenced the mayoral race.^[28][33] She aimed to garner significant support from Hispanic voters.^[34] In the end, she received the highest support among Hispanic voters of any candidate in the first round.^[35] However, Hispanic voter turnout was low.^[35]

Mendoza's campaign was endorsed by labor activist Dolores Huerta^[36] and LIUNA Chicago Laborers’ District Council.^[37]

In mid-February, Mendoza and fellow contender Lori Lightfoot criticized Preckwinkle for holding a women-centered campaign rally, accusing her of portraying herself as a victim in light of a scandal involving her former chief of staff.^[38] Mendoza also critiqued another candidate, William M. Daley, which journalist Gregory Pratt later noted had impacted Daley's campaign negatively among union members.^[39]

Mendoza finished fifth in the primary election with 9.05% of the vote and did not advance to the runoff. On March 23, 2019, she endorsed Lori Lightfoot for mayor in the subsequent runoff election.^[40]

Illinois Comptroller (2016–present)

Mendoza assumed office as the Illinois Comptroller after a special election in December 2016.^[41][42] Since taking office, she has focused on improving Illinois' financial transparency and reducing its budget deficit.^[43] She reprioritized the office's work to pay social and human service providers first and led efforts to streamline financial reporting processes and modernize accounting systems.^[43][44]

2027 Chicago mayoral election

On June 3, 2026, Mendoza announced her second candidacy for mayor of Chicago in the 2027 mayoral election, challenging incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson.^[67] She launched her campaign at an event in Little Village after releasing a video promoting the message that "progress is greater than promises." In the announcement, Mendoza said Chicago should "work better for the people who built it" and argued that many residents felt abandoned by City Hall, citing rising rents, higher fees, and property taxes as key affordability concerns.^[68][69] Mendoza's campaign was noted for her stance on crime, with The New York Times writing that she was running "to the right" of Johnson’s agenda.^[70]