Illinois Comptroller's Campaign Ad Catches Eye Of Late-Night TV Stars

ILLINOIS — A campaign ad from current Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza got a little extra attention, with a shout-out and bits from late-night TV personalities Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.

Colbert called out Mendoza for her ad featuring several Illinoisans praising the work she's already done as comptroller, but Colbert had big praise for one star, in particular: a farmer whose name made Colbert (and his entire studio audience) giggle.

The farmer's name is—well, you can see for yourself below. (The fun starts at the 8:18 mark.)

If you didn't watch, the farmer's name is Dick Bigger, Jr., which apparently made for prime material for Colbert.

"I feel like Susana Mendoza is trying to bait me into talking about her ad," Colbert joked. "Lemme just say, Miss Mendoza, if the bait is Dick Bigger, I will bite."

Democrat Mendoza, who has been comptroller since 2016, will go up against Republican Shannon Teresi, and Libertarian Deirdre McCloskey on Nov. 8.

Fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel also noticed the ad.

"This is the time when campaigns pull out all the stops," Kimmel said. "Susana Mendoza ... she just got an endorsement from not a major name, but a really good one."

"... now we did not fool around with that, that is his name," Kimmel said after showing the clip to his audience.

Mendoza appears to be in on the laughs, even sharing outtakes of the (certainly by now) famous farmer.

You can watch the full, finished ad itself, titled "Growth Spurt," here.