She won the Illinois 15th GOP nomination, but might only serve one term if elected
A grain and cattle farmer from Central Illinois defeated three other Republican candidates Tuesday night in the race for retiring U.S. Rep. John Shimkus’ 15th congressional district seat, according to unofficial election results.
Mary Miller, 60, of Oakland, campaigned on promises to support President Donald Trump’s policies with the help of Republican strategist and campaign manager Travis Akin. She raised $277,708 thanks in large part to donations from GOP political action committees.
Miller, who won more than half the vote, said she would focus on “pro-growth job policies,” including in agriculture and energy.
“Our district has so many natural resources including coal, oil and gas,” Miller wrote in her BND candidate survey. “We have wonderful opportunities to make Illinois prosper. In Illinois, it is estimated that one in four jobs are tied to agriculture and one of my number one commitments will be to rebuild the devastated economies in the rural areas.”
The primary results effectively determine who will win the November election in the heavily Republican district.
In second place was Darren Duncan, 68, a farmer and treasurer for Vermilion County in the northern portion of the 15th district. His campaign raised $207,185, of which $175,000 came from the candidate himself, according to Federal Election Commission data. Shortly after midnight, Duncan had won 21.6% of the vote.
But the nominee who wins in November will likely only serve one term before redistricting potentially eliminates the district.
Part of the reason the 15th could disappear is because of declining population. From 2013 to 2018, it dropped by roughly 14,000, to 690,000, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. A congressional district should have roughly 710,000 residents.
Eliminating the the Republican stronghold would be in the political interest of Democrats, who will control redistricting.
Lawmakers and Southern Illinoisans worry gerrymandering would further silence their voices in Washington, D.C. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has promised ethics reform, but has yet to publicly endorse a joint resolution amendment that would change the Illinois constitution’s provisions on redistricting.
It’s not clear if there’s enough time to pass the provision before map redrawing begins in 2021. The bill, SJRCA0004, has not moved out of the assignments committee.
Miller said she will continue looking for opportunities to serve Illinoisans if the district is eliminated.
“God shows up the opportunity to overcome evil with good, so when I get to Washington I’m going to be looking for opportunities,” Miller said, “and if after two years the district is absorbed, I’ll keep looking for opportunities.”
13th Congressional District results
Democratic candidate Betsy Dirksen Londrigan will be the 13th Congressional District nominee, defeating Stefanie Smith, according to unofficial results.
Londrigan, a 48-year-old from Springfield, lost narrowly in 2018 to incumbent U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville). Davis garnered 51% of the vote in that election. In this election cycle, her campaign faces a new obstacle: the coronavirus pandemic.
Londrigan was exposed to a person who later tested positive for COVID-19 and will quarantine herself until Sunday. She said she was not showing any symptoms as of Tuesday.
“I love being out with people in the public and asking questions and listening to what’s on their minds,” Londrigan said. “But we have to find a way to do that to keep everybody safe, whether it’s Facebook live, phone calls or emails.”
Londrigan enjoyed support from the campaign arm of U.S. House of Representatives Democrats. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program provides fundraising and organizational support to candidates in districts the committee believes could be flipped.
The DCCC accepts money from corporate political action committees, or PACS. Londrigan has said she would not accept PAC money. When asked about support from the DCCC, Londrigan said, “Democrats helping to elects Democrats, that’s a no-brainer. They saw how close we came. ... I’m a people-powered campaign.”
Londrigan said she plans to challenge Davis on his voting record on health care issues, much like she did in her 2018 campaign.
“As I travel around the district, health care is still the overarching issue for people, access to quality affordable care,” she said. “I hear about these things every day and the gut-wrenching choices that people are forced to make.”
12th Congressional District results
Shortly after midnight Wednesday, with 98% of precincts reporting, Raymond Lenzi was ahead with 51.5% of the vote for the 12th Congressional District, while Joel Funk had won 48.5%, according to unofficial results.
Lenzi, 73, of Carbondale, ran his campaign on expanding affordable healthcare, increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and making aggressive moves on climate crisis and renewable energy.
Funk, a 36-year-old from Mascoutah, said his highest priority if elected would be to end American military presence in the Middle East and to bridge wealth inequality.
The winner is expected to go on to face incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) in the November election.
This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
