Susana Mendoza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susana Mendoza
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2018 portrait
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| 10th Comptroller of Illinois | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office December 5, 2016 |
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| Governor | Bruce Rauner J. B. Pritzker |
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| Preceded by | Leslie Munger | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| City Clerk of Chicago | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office May 16, 2011 – December 5, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Miguel del Valle | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Anna Valencia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 1st district |
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| In office January 10, 2001 – May 16, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Sonia Silva | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Dena Carli | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Susana A. Mendoza
May 13, 1972 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Political party | Democratic | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
David Szostak
(m. 2011) |
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| Education | Truman State University (BA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Susana A. Mendoza (born May 13, 1972) is an American politician. She is the 10th Comptroller of Illinois, a very important job she has held since December 2016. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming Comptroller, she was the Chicago city clerk and an Illinois State Representative.
Mendoza was first elected as a State Representative in 2000. She served for many years before winning the election for City Clerk of Chicago in February 2011. She was the first woman to hold this position in Chicago. After five years as City Clerk, she successfully ran for Comptroller of Illinois in 2016.
In 2019, Mendoza also ran for Mayor of Chicago, but she was not elected.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Susana Mendoza was born in Chicago. Her parents, Joaquin and Susana Mendoza, moved to the United States from Mexico in the 1960s. When she was a child, her family moved from Chicago's Little Village neighborhood to Bolingbrook because of violence in their old neighborhood.
High School and College
Mendoza went to Bolingbrook High School, graduating in 1990. She was a talented soccer player, earning honors for her skills. She then attended Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. She received both a soccer and an academic scholarship. In 1994, she earned a degree in Business Administration.
She played soccer for her college team from 1990 to 1994. Even after an injury, she played in 68 games, scoring 10 goals and making 10 assists. After college, Mendoza moved back to Chicago. She lived with her family and became involved in helping her local community. This led her to get involved in politics in Chicago.
Starting in Politics
Mendoza began her political journey in the mid-1990s in Southwest Side Chicago. She first ran for the Illinois House in 1998 but did not win. In 1999, she helped manage a campaign for Jesse Granato, who was running for alderman in Chicago's 1st ward. This experience helped her learn a lot about how local politics works.
Illinois State Representative
In 2000, Susana Mendoza was elected as an Illinois State Representative. She was only 28 years old, making her the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly at that time.
Key Roles and Actions
As a State Representative, Mendoza held several important roles:
- She was the Chairwoman of the International Trade and Commerce Committee.
- She was the Vice-chairwoman of the Bio-Technology Committee.
- She was also a member of committees dealing with Labor, Public Utilities, and the Railroad Industry.
Mendoza also helped start the first Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus. She was known for speaking out against then-Governor Rod Blagojevich in 2007 and 2008. She defended herself against his accusations, showing her strong will.
National and International Involvement
Mendoza was a delegate for Democratic presidential candidates Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004. In 2002, she visited Uganda and Tanzania in Africa as part of a program for young political leaders. In 2004, the State Department sent her to Brazil to discuss the Democratic Party's plans.
Chicago City Clerk
In 2011, Susana Mendoza made history by becoming the first woman elected as City Clerk in Chicago. This office handles a lot of money, more than $100 million each year, mainly from vehicle stickers.
Important Changes She Made
As City Clerk, Mendoza brought about several positive changes:
- She led the creation of the Companion Animal and Consumer Protection Ordinance. This rule stopped Chicago pet stores from selling dogs, cats, or rabbits unless they came from humane shelters or animal rescue groups.
- She changed how vehicle stickers were sold. Instead of selling them only once a year, she made them available year-round. This change saved the city about $4 million every year!
Illinois Comptroller
In 2016, Mendoza ran for Illinois Comptroller in a special election. She won against the Republican who was already in office, Leslie Munger. She took office in December 2016.
Working for Transparency
When Mendoza became Comptroller, Illinois was facing a tough financial situation. She quickly started working to make the state's finances more open and clear.
- In her first year, she helped pass the Debt Transparency Act. This law makes sure that everyone, including regular people and lawmakers, can see a monthly report of all the debts owed by every state agency. This helps people understand where the state's money is going.
- In her second year, she passed three more "Transparency bills." These laws require governors to list all employees on their payroll, make sure state budgets include money for late payment penalties, and require lenders to state vendors to share who owns them and where their money comes from.
In 2018, Mendoza was re-elected as Comptroller, showing that people supported her work.
Running for Mayor of Chicago
In 2018, Susana Mendoza decided to run for Mayor of Chicago. She officially started her campaign in November 2018. She was hoping to become the next leader of Chicago.
The Mayoral Race
Early in her campaign, Mendoza was seen as one of the top candidates. Many polls showed her as a strong contender. She worked hard to get support from different groups of voters.
However, in the end, Mendoza did not win enough votes to move on to the final round of the election. She finished in 5th place. After the election, she supported Lori Lightfoot, who eventually became the new Mayor of Chicago.
Personal Life
In December 2011, Susana Mendoza married David Szostak. They had gone to Bolingbrook High School together. In 2012, they welcomed their son into the world.
She also serves on the board of advisors for Let America Vote. This group works to make sure everyone has the chance to vote and helps stop things that make it harder for people to vote.
Images for kids
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Susana Mendoza meeting with Mayor Daley and Jesse Granato in 1999.
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Susana Mendoza during her time as Chicago City Clerk.
