Meet Mary Miller, 15th Congressional District candidate for Illinois

Editor's note: Early voting for the June 28 primary starts May 19. The State Journal-Register asked candidates in contested races to answer questions related to the office they seek. 

Professional background: Congresswoman Miller owns a third-generation grain and cattle farm alongside her husband, Chris.

Educational background: Congresswoman Miller graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a bachelor of science in business management.

Family background: Congresswoman Miller is a mother of seven and grandmother of 19 and has been farming with her husband Chris for over 40 years.

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Agriculture is one of downstate Illinois' biggest industries. What key changes would you seek in federal ag policy to benefit Illinois farmers?

My husband Chris and I are cattle and grain farmers, and I am one of the few remaining farmers in Congress. I was endorsed by President Trump because I am not a career politician, I am a farmer who understands the challenges farmers face in the real world. I have pressed Biden's agriculture secretary on the shocking rise in fuel and fertilizer prices that I warned would create a food crisis. The Biden administration's official response was that farmers should use less fertilizer, which demonstrates their lack of real-world knowledge. I introduced legislation to end the Biden administration's harmful waters of the United States regulations that threaten a massive federal land grab. Even before the start of the Biden fuel crisis, I pushed the Biden administration to support domestic ethanol production instead of electric vehicles powered by Chinese-manufactured batteries.

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In 2020, a record 45,222 people died from gun injuries in the U.S. including suicide and murder, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. What, if anything, should be done to control guns?

I am proud to have been endorsed by the NRA in 2020 and to be the only member of Congress from Illinois with an A rating from the Gun Owners of America because of my 100% Pro-Second Amendment record. My opponent Rodney Davis supported red-flag gun confiscation. Illinois does not need tougher gun laws, and the ridiculous FOID card law is a direct violation of our Second Amendment rights. Democrats released criminals from prison during the pandemic, eliminated cash bail, defunded the police, and then worked to take away citizens’ Second Amendment right to defend their families while crime is spiking. President Trump endorsed me because I support law and order and I will always back our police officers who are working to protect our communities from the dangerous criminals who were released into our communities.

Toxic political polarization has permeated the landscape. How will you work to heal the divide?

I am honored to have President Trump's endorsement in this race and I am proudly running as an America First conservative. My opponent Rep. Rodney Davis brags about being the most bipartisan member of Congress, and he has worked with Democrats to push red-flag gun confiscation and amnesty for illegal immigrants. I have no interest in helping Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer advance a radical anti-American agenda that has caused an invasion on our southern border, a fuel crisis, record-high prices, and an erosion of our Second Amendment rights. The best way to heal the divide is to elect pro-America First members of Congress who will implement policies that benefit the American people, instead of policies pushed by the D.C. swamp and globalist elites who hate our country.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois primary election: Mary Miller, 15th Congressional District