Leslie Munger Republican Susana Mendoza Democratic A special election for Illinois Comptroller took place on November 8, 2016.

After comptroller Judy Baar Topinka died shortly after her reelection in 2014, Republican Governor Bruce Rauner appointed Leslie Munger, a former business executive and unsuccessful 2014 nominee for the Illinois House of Representatives, to fill her seat at the beginning of his term in 2015.

Munger ran as the Republican nominee against Democratic Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza.

[4] In an early January 2015 special session, the Democratic-led Illinois General Assembly approved a bill requiring that a special election be held at the next regular statewide election for any vacancy in any statewide executive office that occurs more than 28 months before the end of the term.

The special election law received criticism from Republicans, who described it as a move to weaken Governor Rauner by shortening the term of his appointee.