Mary Miller to Run Against Rodney Davis, Secures Trump Endorsement
Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Oakland) announced Saturday she will run against Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) in the new 15th district in the June primary. Both members were drawn out of their current districts by a Democrat-drawn redistricting plan passed last year.
The first day of the new year brings a new fight between two Republican members of Congress.
Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Oakland), who saw her current 15th district dismantled in the redistricting plan passed by Democrats last year, placing her in the new 12th District, said Saturday she will instead challenge fellow Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) in the new 15th district.
Miller’s announcement she would compete with Davis came as she was endorsed by former President Donald Trump Saturday.
“She fights hard against Joe Biden’s open borders, runaway inflation, and the radical indoctrination of our children,” Trump was quoted in the release. “Mary has my [c]omplete and [t]otal endorsement.”
Trump made no mention of Davis in the statement, but numerous national reports had indicated Miller ally and far-right Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had been urging Trump to endorse Miller over either Davis or Congressman Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro), but top GOP Leaders like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had asked the former President to stay out of the potential primary matchup.
Davis was gerrymandered out of his current 13th district and chose to seek the new 15th district instead of running for Governor. He has broken with Trump at times in his five terms in Congress, but hasn’t been the exuberant Trump supporter that Miller has been. She is often seen wearing at Trump-emblazoned purse at political events.
(Disclosure: I worked in a Republican primary against Miller in 2020 and as Communications Director for Davis’ first race in 2012.)
Davis has been a significantly stronger fundraiser in his time in Congress and will likely have more money to spend on the intraparty war likely coming in the June primary.
Davis had about $1.1 million cash on hand in his third quarter report while Miller had around $427,000 on hand. Fourth quarter reports aren’t due until later this month.
A Davis spokesman issued a blistering statement about Miller Saturday, indicating a likely nasty primary between the two:
“Mary Miller is only an outsider in the sense that she doesn’t live in the 15th District. She’s a carpetbagger and Chicagoland native. Miller is so desperate to stay in Congress she’s running in a district she doesn’t live in, just like her husband. The Millers are taking a page out of the Springfield political insider playbook. Politics is their family business.
“Even worse, Miller supports the Never Trump ticket for Illinois Governor and refused to vote against Nancy Pelosi’s sham, partisan 1/6 Select Committee. All Mary Miller has to show for her time in Congress is quoting Hitler and voting with Democrats like AOC and the far left squad to defund our military and block a pay raise for our troops. That’s shameful. It’s clear that Mary Miller is all talk, no action.
“Rodney Davis is a conservative who gets things done. He’s already been hard at work highlighting his conservative accomplishments and work with President Trump during his time in office. That’s why he’s earned support from countless grassroots Republican leaders in the district. Our campaign looks forward to educating voters on how Rodney is an effective conservative member of Congress and Mary is not.”
Miller was drawn into the new 12th district, and had previously indicated she would challenge Bost in the 2022 primary. She is not required to live in the 15th district to run in it. Her husband, State Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland), may be forced to move if he decides to run in the new 102nd district. Democrats also drew him in to a potential primary with another Republican.
The new 15th stretches across the state, touching the borders of Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana. It includes Quincy, Jacksonville, Mattoon-Charleston, and parts of Decatur and the Metro East.
—