ILLINOIS —- A Coles County farmer has announced her candidacy for the 15th Congressional District of Illinois. Mary Miller says she wants to learn the needs and wants of those in the southern portion of the district and advocate for faith, family and freedom.
The 15th district seat has been held by current Congressman John Shimkus since 1996. However, Shimkus said last week he’s reconsidering retiring from Congress now that the top GOP spot on the House Energy and Commerce Committee will be vacant.
Miller says she is running on a conservative platform to fully support President Donald Trump. She says Shimkus turned his back on the district.
Shimkus was quoted as saying he doesn’t support President’s trump decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the Syria-Turkey border, calling the move “despicable.” He expanded on those comments to say that his voting record would still support the President’s domestic party agenda, but he could not support the, “terrible foreign policy decision”.
Illinois’ 15th Congressional District is located in eastern Illinois. It includes Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Massac, Moultrie, Pope, Richland, Saline, Shelby, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, and White counties. Portions of Bond, Champaign, Ford, and Madison counties also lie within the district.