Candidates release dueling ag endorsements
Thursday, Jan 30, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Mary Miller, Candidate for Congress in the 15th District, has landed a major endorsement from Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR.
Representatives from the county Farm Bureaus throughout the 15th Congressional District met Monday with the candidates running for Congress and ended the day by endorsing Mary Miller for Congress.
Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR is pleased to endorse Mary Miller in the Republican primary. She’s a strong conservative who understands challenges facing farmers and rural Illinois and is clearly ready to roll up her sleeves and fight for our members and for all citizens of the state’s largest congressional district,” said 15th District ACTIVATOR committee chairman Gale Koelling, president of Washington County Farm Bureau.
Miller said she is looking forward to working with the Illinois Farm Bureau to advocate for farmers throughout the 15th District.
“I am and always will be a friend of Agriculture,” Miller told the local Farm Bureau representatives. “I am in this race to win. I can assure you that I will work with you to promote Illinois agriculture when I get to Congress.”
Mary Miller is running for Congress in the 15th Congressional District, which includes all of 29 counties and parts of four counties. The District is almost 52 percent rural.
This is retiring US Rep. John Shimkus’ district. Miller is the spouse of Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland), an Eastern Bloc member. She faces the vice president of the Altamont School Board Kerry Wolff, physician Charles Ellington and Vermilion County Treasurer Darren Duncan.
* Duncan released his own endorsements to counter Miller’s Farm Bureau nod…
Conservative Vermilion County Treasurer Darren Duncan, a seventh-generation farmer, has been endorsed by two of the top House Republican Ag Committee members for Illinois 15th Congressional District.
Former House Agriculture Committee Chairman and current Ranking Member Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) and the Rural America Counts PAC, chaired by Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) announced their endorsements of Darren Duncan Tuesday.
“As a farmer, a Christian, and a conservative, I’m confident Darren Duncan will be a great leader for central and southern Illinois farm families in the House of Representatives,” said Ranking Member Conaway. “As I’ve worked on many of the most difficult agriculture issues in my career in the House, I know we would be benefitted by a lifelong farmer who puts principle ahead of politics.”
The Rural America Counts PAC is chaired by Arkansas Congressman Rick Crawford, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee and has played a key role in the passage of two Farm Bills, serving on Conference Committees both in 2008 and 2018.
“I represent an area nearly as rural as the one Darren Duncan is seeking to represent, and I know that he will be a strong, principled leader who will govern with common sense in Washington,” said Crawford. “I want more farmers helping create agriculture policy in the House, and I know a lifelong farmer brings common sense, experience, and the values we need to be a champion for farmers and rural communities in the House of Representatives.”
Duncan says he’s honored to have the support of top agriculture supporters in the House of Representatives.
“I’ve spent my whole life farming, and to imagine I would have the opportunity to run for Congress and have the support of some of the top leaders in agriculture is beyond my expectations,” said Duncan. “I’m thankful to Ranking Member Conaway and Representative Crawford for having confidence in a farm boy from Illinois to want me in the House of Representatives to help them advance the cause of farmers and rural Illinois.”
We’ll see where the NRA goes.
- Nomnomymous - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 9:47 am:
Smart money goes to Duncan. MAGA money flows to Miller. I think this is this litmus test, republicans vs Trumpkins. Interesting race to watch headed into the remap. If Miller forces this race to be a trump love fest then she’s just a placeholder. Duncan can play the long game here and show some savvy instead of losing all clout post 2020.
- Responsa - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 10:03 am:
Farmers are kind of independent minded critters and I say that with the greatest respect. I don’t think endorsements are particularly important toward decision making in that segment of the electorate.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 10:10 am:
===don’t think endorsements are particularly important===
Don’t kid yourself. In rural primaries, IFB’s picks are always watched.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 10:30 am:
===republicans vs Trumpkins===
The president won that district by 45.5 percent.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 10:41 am:
=== Duncan can play the long game here and show some savvy instead of losing all clout post 2020.===
Yeah, this seat is gone in 2022, the Freshman congressman can decide which seat they will challenge. The candidates right now that the winner will be found are the going to beat Davis, Bost, or LaHood. Nope.
- Token Conservative - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 11:25 am:
==Yeah, this seat is gone in 2022, the Freshman congressman can decide which seat they will challenge.==
Your crystal ball knows what the maps will look like? Duncan would be more likely to be drawn into Kinzinger’s district than Bost. Nobody knows anything, Even Willy.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 11:33 am:
- Token Conservative -
Congressman don’t need to live in their districts to run.
None of the sitting members of Congress in this delegation will let the newly minted congressman keep his/her district when Illinois will lose a district next map.
The point of the exercise will be to pack the downstate Republican districts together, likely having Bost/Davis/“Newbe” in two districts. Why? So all the incumbents are satisfied.
The only “certainty” is this 15th district *will* vanish. The politics says it’s so.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 11:46 am:
I love how these so called “conservatives”love them some ag endorsements. The most highly subsidized industry in America. They need to change their name to conservative socialists.
- Blue Dog Dem - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 12:02 pm:
I love the fake reference to ’strong conservative’. You wanna know the Farm Bureaus position on more subsidies?
- Blue Dog Dem - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 12:03 pm:
Sorry js. Missed your post
- ILLannoyed - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 12:22 pm:
Rich don’t kid yourself. Daddy Duck would win that district by 40+ points if he had an R behind his name. Also in agreement with token here; Duncan would probably be drawn into Adam’s district. As much posturing as he’s done lately he’s taking the Schock route here. Idk if he wants a statewide office or the Senate post remap but the tea leaves read like a man hedging his bets.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 12:53 pm:
===… would probably be drawn into…===
(Sigh)
You can run in *any* district, as congressman need not live in their districts to run in them.
The mental gymnastics here should be a mere summersault; the 15th is going away. The rest is incumbent protection for the others, less the freshman in the downstate 15th district.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 1:44 pm:
==Duncan would probably be drawn into Adam’s district.==
I’ll type slowly. As OW wrote (twice) “You can run in *any* district, as congressman need not live in their districts to run in them.” The calculation for the newbie is “where are my people?” Where are the folks the newbie has been working with for 2 years? If his/her county is the only overlap, that is a weak starting point in a race against someone who has 10+ years of contact with the rest of the district. The smart move is to look where most of your voters ended up and challenge in that district. If someone leaves an open seat, that is a different calculation.
- Southern Illinois Mayor - Thursday, Jan 30, 20 @ 3:26 pm:
Mary “Yikes” Miller would be the cherry on top on the crazy sundae down south. I don’t know if my area will be able to withstand having Bailey as State Senator and Miller in Congress.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Friday, Jan 31, 20 @ 8:09 am:
Too bad Halbrook succeeded in taking down Kimberly Wade.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Friday, Jan 31, 20 @ 8:26 am:
==I don’t know if my area will be able to withstand having Bailey as State Senator and Miller in Congress.==
So what is Jeff Fleming like? According to WSJD he says he’s “Pro-God, Pro-Gun and Pro-Life” but I want to know is he pro vaccine and anti crazy?