Judy Baar Topinka kicked off a three-day, nine-stop bus tour Sunday to announce her re-election campaign for Illinois Comptroller.

Topinka's “Common Sense Express” tour made its way to Chicago, Rockford and the Quad Cities on Sunday. On Monday, Topinka, a Republican, will be in Peoria, Springfield and Quincy for rallies. The tour will wrap up on Tuesday, making stops in Edwardsville, an ice cream shop in Mt. Vernon and the 17th Street BBQ restaurant in Marion.

With Illinois facing more than $7.5 billion in unpaid bills, Topinka said in statement that she would bring "common sense to state finances" and continue "opposing new spending and borrowing that would drive Illinois deeper into the red."

“It’s Common Sense 101: when you’re drowning in debt, you knock off the spending outside of your essentials and you cut up the credit cards – not apply for new ones,” Topinka said. “Somehow Illinois has failed to learn that lesson, and we’re all paying the price.

Click through for more details about Topinka's "Common Sense Express" tour.

Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, a Democrat, also announced her campaign for Illinois Comptroller at the end of July.