Kane County Auditor Penny Wegman announces bid for treasurer

Kane County Auditor Penny Wegman on Wednesday officially announced her candidacy for county treasurer.

Wegman, a Democrat, was elected to her second term as auditor last year. She will seek her party’s nomination in the March 17 primary election. If she wins the primary, she will be on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot.

In a news release Wednesday, Wegman pledged “to bring her proven record of fiscal responsibility, transparency and innovation to the treasurer’s office.”

“As your county auditor, I’ve worked every day to make government more transparent, efficient, and accountable to taxpayers,” Wegman said in the release. “Now, I’m ready to bring that same commitment to the treasurer’s office – to continue protecting taxpayer dollars and strengthening public trust in our financial institutions.”

The current treasurer is Chris Lauzen, a Republican and former state senator and former County Board chairman. He has not announced whether he would seek another term.

Since taking office as auditor, Wegman said she led on several key initiatives that improved the county’s financial operations and public accountability. These include:

• Increasing transparency through a more accessible, online county checkbook, giving taxpayers real-time insight into county spending
• Creating a successful internship program, providing hands-on government experience to local students and cultivating the next generation of public servants
• Identifying and helping close policy gaps, collaborating with the county board to strengthen financial procedures and internal controls
• Increasing county revenue by competitively bidding the purchase card vendor, securing better returns for Kane County taxpayers

“These are not just ideas – they are results, ” Wegman said in the release.

“As treasurer, I will carry forward this momentum to modernize operations, safeguard county funds, and ensure Kane County residents get the transparency and service they deserve,” Wegman said in the release.

With her background in auditing, financial oversight and public service, Wegman said in the release that she is “uniquely prepared to transition seamlessly into the treasurer’s role and immediately build upon the office’s core responsibilities: receiving, investing, and safeguarding the county’s funds.”

Last year, Wegman received the Innovator Award from the International Association of Government Officials at its annual conference in New Orleans.

The award was in recognition of Wegman’s work with the county’s procurement card program, which are known as p-cards and are county credit cards issued to department heads.

Her campaign for treasurer will formally launch with a fundraiser on Aug. 28, at The Office, 201 E Main St., St. Charles. The public is invited to attend and learn more about Wegman’s vision for the treasurer’s office.

In May, Candida “Connie” Cain announced she left the Kane County GOP to run for treasurer as a Democrat.