QUINCY — If Democrats want to challenge for seats in Downstate Illinois, the first thing they have to do is have candidates.
Rep. Mary Miller (R-Oakland) ran unopposed for her 15th District seat in 2024. Miller, who will be in Quincy Saturday to give the keynote for the Adams County Republican Central Committee’s Lincoln-Reagan-Trump Dinner, is considered “safe” in her seat by most political observers because her district is solidly red.
But three people are considering a challenge to the two-term congresswoman and will square off in the March 17, 2026 primary. They met with local Democrats last week at the Adams County Democratic Central Committee’s barbecue fundraiser at the Machinists Lodge.
Local Democrats say they are committed to getting people on the ballot so that no race is unopposed and there is a choice to be made.
“You have to give a different option, whether or not people are listening, we have to have different options,” said Katherine Daniels, elected Chair of Adams County Democratic Central Committee. In addition to introducing the candidates, the event also was to unite the local party members.
“We get like-minded people together… to promote participation in civic things,” said Daniels. “And we have the candidates here for people to meet them. The thing is to support Democratic candidates, and we do that by bringing them here so people can hear them and find out what they’re all about.”
Jess Piper, the executive director of Blue Missouri, spoke at the barbecue. Blue Missouri raises money for down ballot Democratic candidates after realizing how many Missouri races were uncontested.
“In Missouri, [over 40%] of people voted for Kamala Harris, Piper said. “People say, ‘oh, it’s a red state,’ there’s no point in doing anything. [Over 40%,] that’s a lot of people that you’re leaving on the table by not contesting races.”
Piper works to remind the democratic party to focus on the rural vote, which has long been left behind by the party. She encouraged constituents to talk to their neighbors.
“I hope that people understand that there are people like them out there,” said Piper. “Even in red states, and that every vote or every community is worth it.”
Here is a look at each of the candidates for the Illinois 15th District Seat, and what they said when asked about the top issues the district faces and why they are running.
Randy Raley
Randy Raley worked in radio for 48 years, but now he finds himself “running for [his] grandchildren.” Raley is on Social Security and Medicare, and he is worried that these programs. As part of his campaign, he plans to talk to as many constituents as possible, to hear everything.
Top Issues:
- “Let’s get this district wired up. I’d like to have 100% broadband… there are people that are still using dial up, if they have anything at all.”
- “[Mary Miller is] going to be kicking tens of thousands of people off of Medicaid. She’s going to be closing nursing homes. There’s going to be hospitals closed.”
- “Mary has taken all of her toys and kept them for her and not distributed anybody any to the district. We have a town that needs a new water tower. We’ve got another one that needs a new sheriff. We’ve got another one that has infrastructure trouble. The roads in this district are awful, and yet Mary is not doing anything.”
- “How did this country get to be so cruel and so mean? Growing up, when I did back in the 70s, it seemed like everybody was cool with each other.”
- “My priorities are: let’s get some jobs in this district. Let’s free up some federal money to build that water tower in Alhambra with good paying union jobs. Let’s get the union stronger by making them bigger.”
Reason for running:
- “If we can flip this district… it will be a big freaking deal. It will take a lot of hard work. It will take getting out, shaking hands with everybody in this district and doing more of a grassroots campaign.”
- “We’ve got to have some fire… we have to not take this crap anymore. I’m working for [young people], for my granddaughters, and my kids and all that.”
- “I think me coming from outside, I mean fresh ideas and different ways of doing things.”
Paul Davis
Paul Davis works as a veterinarian, but is running because he is “concerned that as a nation, we’ve lost… our ability to find common ground.” As someone with a scientific background, he is concerned about a culture that questions research and makes public health political.
Top Issues:
- “The ability to talk across the aisle right now. I’d like to somehow find a way to be a small part of the solution”
- “The lack of science into things, the anti-science movement. I’m concerned about measles outbreaks… I’m concerned about defunding medical research at Harvard University that’s going to find cures for Alzheimer’s and cancer. My mom passed away a year ago with dementia. These are things that hit close to home.”
- “I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-union. I’m pro-inclusion, pro-voting rights, pro-civil rights. I will not ever compromise anybody’s individual rights.”
Reason for running:
- “I hate it being unchallenged. I’ve always been very proud to be an American and proud of our country, and I’m very concerned about the way our government’s being run now. So my wife is like, ‘quit yelling at the TV and go do something!’ So this is what I can do.”
Jennier Todd
Jennifer Todd has worked as a nurse for the past 30 years, and is a single mom to a transgender daughter. She grew up in Southern Illinois and now lives in Edwardsville, and finds that there are things that “need to be taken care of.”
Top Issues:
- “Medicaid, Medicaid, and education… they have literally sentenced so many people to death because you’re not going to be able to get their medications… Nursing homes are going to close, the group homes are going to close… Medicaid touches every single person in some way or another”
- “They’re wanting to do away with the Department of Education, which does away with Title One, which does away with special education.”
Reason for running:
- “Somebody needed to! I went into this knowing that it’s going to be a long shot, but momentum is growing, and [Miller] keeps sticking her foot in her mouth. People are frustrated.”
Media Feeds All
via Muddy River News https://ift.tt/8AyETRH
August 4, 2025 at 08:51AM
Illinois Delivered 