By Illinois Review
On Saturday, Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (IL-15) announced that she is endorsing Darren Bailey for Congress in the 12th District as the former Republican nominee for governor and downstate farmer squares off against the Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) in a campaign viewed by many as one of the most high profile primary races in the country.
In an exclusive, Rep. Miller issued a statement to Illinois Review offering her support for Bailey, writing,
“Chris and I have been close friends of Darren and Cindy Bailey for many years, and I have seen firsthand how Darren is guided by his faith to serve God and help others. Darren is MAGA to his core, and I was so honored when President Trump came to Illinois last year for a rally to endorse me and Darren as pro-Trump, America First candidates in 2022.”
Bailey, the Republican nominee for governor in 2022, was endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump during a downstate rally for Miller just days before the primary election last June.
Bailey also served as a state representative and state senator in Springfield – a point that the Congresswoman highlighted in her endorsement.
“In Springfield, Darren fought to defend the unborn and our Second Amendment rights from the radical Pritzker agenda. He took on JB Pritzker because he saw the lasting damage Pritzker’s COVID mandates would do to our children and our small businesses.”
In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Bailey – then a state representative, sued Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker over the state’s extended stay-at-home order, saying,
“Enough is enough! I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life.”
Miller concluded her endorsement with,
“Darren is also a farmer who understands how Biden’s crushing inflation and war on American energy are driving up our input costs and killing the family farm. Chris and I are proud to support and endorse Darren because we know he will be a conservative champion for the America First movement in downstate Illinois.”
Bailey responded to the announcement by sharing with Illinois Review that Congresswoman Mary Miller’s endorsement is further confirmation of the strong grassroots support he has from the America First movement in the 12th District race.
“Mike Bost is hoping that special interest cash from lobbyists and establishment elites will paper over his liberal voting record, but the truth is the voters know better. They know I am the true conservative in this race, which is why I have the endorsement of one of the most conservative members of Congress – Mary Miller. I thank Mary and Chris for their support, and I look forward to joining Mary as a member of the House Freedom Caucus.”
Miller’s husband Chris, is a state representative in Springfield and represents the 101st District. Representative Miller is also the chairman of the Illinois Freedom Caucus.
President Trump has remained neutral in the congressional race, but Bailey has become a fixture at Trump rallies and is often seen at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
