Stephanie Kifowit

Kifowit earned her B.S. in political science from Northern Illinois University, Dekalb and her M.A. in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University, Dekalb. Her professional experience includes working as substitute teacher and as a financial advisor. She served in U.S. Marine Corps.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Representative Kifowit learned the value of hard work and financial discipline early. She grew up the daughter of a single mother in a blended working-class family who called the western suburbs home, worked multiple jobs as a teenager, and experienced firsthand the challenge of making every dollar count. Her commitment to service began at just 17, when she joined the United States Marine Corps right out of high school and served honorably from 1990 to 1994. After returning to Illinois from her overseas deployment, she worked her way through college, earning both a B.S. in Political Science and a MPA from Northern Illinois University. Homing in on her desire to serve, she applied her expertise in banking and as a registered financial advisor to help families plan for their financial futures. Her record of public service is both extensive and deeply rooted in her community. She served as an Alderman for the City of Aurora for ten years, and for over twelve years, she has been a trusted member of the Illinois House of Representatives, where she has proven her ability to build coalitions and deliver results. Representative Kifowit has over 20 years of experience in Finance and Government. She is currently a state representative, serving during the Quinn, Rauner, and Pritzker administrations. She has always served on key budget committees, including the budget working group during the 2½-year impasse and today. In Springfield, her leadership roles reflect her financial expertise

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Create a dedicated Labor Division. Kifowit is proposing expanding the current Prevailing Wage Division into The Labor Division. This dedicated team will move beyond just checking a certified payroll for prevailing wage enforcement. They will conduct proactive, pre-payment audits of all Illinois labor laws, including state OSHA standards in a time of weakening National OSHA standards, to catch violations before taxpayer dollars go out the door. In addition, Kifowit will work with the General Assembly to codify the Comptroller’s Executive Order 19-01 into Illinois State Law. The Division will modernize the existing prevailing wage online database to make it more accountable and transparent, in addition to being more user friendly.Create a Nonprofit & Community-Based Division. Throughout her years in the General Assembly, Representative Kifowit has worked with many non-profits who have struggled to receive the needed state funding they were allocated. The Nonprofit Community-Based Division will address the bureaucratic delays that threaten the stability of social services across Illinois. Dedicated staff will serve as a direct point of contact for nonprofits, helping them navigate payment issues, troubleshoot delays with state agencies, and ensure their funding moves through the system efficiently. The Division will also create and maintain a public-facing, user friendly online dashboard showing the status of grant payments owed to nonprofit organizations.Modernization and Technological Upgrades: Upgrading to Smarter Systems for Accuracy and Accountability by continuing the strategic modernization of the Comptroller’s office to increase efficiency, eliminate costly payroll errors, and ensure every taxpayer dollar is accounted for. This means investing in modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to streamline operations, implementing advanced data analytics to proactively detect anomalies and fraud, and creating user-friendly digital portals for vendors and local governments. Modernization will enable the Comptroller’s office to review fund balances, the effects of fund sweeps, and report out low balance funds that have payment delays associated with them

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As the only female Veteran, I am passionate about protecting victims of military sexual trauma and supporting our Veterans. I am also passionate about being an advocate for individuals with autism and I am passionate about finance. My legislative work is marked by a focus on property tax relief for homeowners, and I am a tireless advocate for her fellow Veterans, earning the 2024 and 2025 "Legislator of the Year" award from the Illinois Association of County Veterans Assistance Commissions.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Elected: Congressman Danny Davis, Representative Will Davis, Harper, Mussman, Scherer and local elected leaders. Orgs: Vote Vets, With Honor, IL Veterans for Change, Personal PAC, IL NOW PAC

Labor: Painters District Councils 14, 30, 58 (whole state)

Steelworkers District 7 (whole state), Local 17U Decorators Union, Roofers, Water proofers and Allied Workers, Local 11, Cement Mason's Local 502, National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 219, Illinois Federation of Public Employees, Local 4408

Chicago Firefighters Local 2, Naperville Firefighters, I.A.F.F. Local 4302, Aurora Firefighters, I.A.F.F. Local 99

Ottawa Firefighters I.A.F.F. Local 162, Illinois State FOP,

Chicago FOP Lodge 7, Blind Vendors Association

Campaign websiteKifowit's campaign website stated the following:MOST QUALIFIED FOR THE JOBAs someone with over 20+ years of Government financial experience and a former registered financial advisor, she has reviewed the Comptroller’s budget, working with the Comptroller's office, almost every single year as a legislator, she knows this office inside and out. She understands the more than $100 billion (all funds) budget it handles and has the experience to make sure:Every dollar is tracked.Every bill is paid on time.Every taxpayer can see where their money goes.A RECORD OF FIGHTING FOR THE PEOPLEStephanie’s record isn’t built on empty promises; it’s built on delivering for working families. She has been a relentless warrior for balanced budgets, but her version of fiscal responsibility means cutting wasteful spending that lines corporate pockets, not slashing services for the vulnerable. It is paramount to her as Comptroller, to be a fighter for prevailing wage and supporting the right to collective bargaining.A CHAMPION FOR THOSE WHO SERVEDAs a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Stephanie has carried the fight for her brothers and sisters in arms into the statehouse, successfully passing critical legislation to help Veterans access benefits, combat the mental health crisis, and get the support they were promised—a mission driven by loyalty to the United States, standing up to those who are trying to tear down our Constitutional freedoms.NOW, SHE'S READY TO BE THE STATE'S TOP FISCAL HAWKWith the state facing new fiscal challenges, Stephanie is the independent, experienced leader we need as Comptroller. She possesses a deep, unparalleled understanding of the state's complex financial system.— Stephanie Kifowit's campaign website (February 27, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Stephanie Kifowit did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Stephanie Kifowit did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Stephanie Kifowit did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Kifowit's campaign website listed the following issues:[16]

JOB CREATION

Excerpt: "I believe that both state and local governments should play a strong role in promoting economic development and job creation. Some ways to do this include providing tax credits and incentives to businesses that hire more employees and by making sure our tax code does not put too large of a burden on Illinois employers. At the state level, I support extending the state’s research and development tax credit and the net operating loss deduction."

STATE BUDGET

Excerpt: "A bloated state budget full of wasteful spending shortchanges taxpayers, state vendors and those who depend on state services. I will work to make sure Illinois government starts to live within its means, just like every family has to do when working with their household budget. The General Assembly should review all programs and every expenditure each year to make sure every penny of taxpayer money is spent wisely."

EDUCATION

Excerpt: "We are lucky to have some quality schools in our area, and we need to work to ensure that our schools continue to get better. I will fight to make sure our local school districts receive their fair share of state funding, make sure schools get a share of any new state revenues, and insist that the state and federal governments help pay for any costly mandates they impose."

TAXES

Excerpt: "We need to look for more creative solutions, including consolidating different agencies and levels of government, in order to get state spending in line before we ask taxpayers to contribute to even more to a state that does not have its budget under control. I am against raising taxes on the middle class and support repealing the state income tax increase."

WHAT MAKES YOU THE BEST CANDIDATE?

Excerpt: "I plan on being a full-time state representative that will commit every day towards improving Illinois."