U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a fixture of American left-wing politics, announced Monday that he is endorsing Democratic Illinois state Sen. Karina Villa to be the state’s next comptroller.

The support from the Vermont independent lawmaker, with a little over a week until the March 17 primary election, is arguably the most significant endorsement that Villa — whose brand of progressive politics is especially identifiable for Sanders — has secured in her bid for the Democratic nomination to be Illinois’ next chief fiscal officer.

“The choice in this race is clear: Karina is exactly the kind of bold, progressive leader Illinois needs right now. Karina understands that public dollars should work for working families, not corporate greed,” Sanders said in a statement. “As (Republican President Donald Trump) threatens devastating cuts and more handouts for billionaires, we need people like her who are willing to fight for the funding our schools, health care system, and communities rely on.”

Villa, of West Chicago, has served in the Illinois General Assembly since 2019 but likely has the least experience in government finance matters when compared to her three Democratic opponents: state Rep. Margaret Croke of Chicago, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego and Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim of Mundelein.

A former school social worker, Villa has often talked about the need for Illinois to pass laws requiring the wealthiest people in the state to pay their fair share of taxes — a talking point that’s emblematic of Sanders’ political identity as he seeks to address the nation’s economic disparities.

But Villa has used that rhetoric, along with other social justice issues, including her staunch opposition to the presence of federal immigration enforcement in the Chicago area, to explain on the campaign trail why she’s the best candidate to replace Democrat Susana Mendoza, Illinois’ comptroller for nearly 10 years. Mendoza, who endorsed Kim, chose not to run for reelection as Mendoza considers running for Chicago mayor.

“I am deeply honored and humbled by Senator Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of my campaign for IL State Comptroller,” Villa said in a statement. “When it comes to taking on the billionaire class and unrigging our economy so that public dollars actually benefit everyday people, no national Democratic leader has been clearer and more consistent than Sen. Sanders.”

Entering 2026, Villa had about $300,000 in her campaign fund, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections, but she’s raised tens of thousands of dollars from union political action committees, including those tied to the Service Employees International Union and the Illinois Federation of Teachers. She’s also gotten financial backing from several fellow Democratic state senators, including Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park and more than $50,000 from progressive Democratic U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez of Chicago.

As for Villa’s opponents, Croke, who is backed by Gov. JB Pritzker, reported having more than $830,000 on hand to start the year, Kim had more than $240,000 at that time and Kifowit ended 2025 with a little under $100,000 in her campaign account, state election figures show.

Croke received a campaign contribution of more than $72,000 from Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune.

The lone Republican in the race who will likely face the winner of the Democratic primary is Bryan Drew, an attorney from downstate Benton.