Election Article

Republican Primary candidates visit the Oasis in Lincoln

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[June 24, 2022]   With the general primary election just days away, several Republican candidates are scrambling for votes, hoping to secure a place for their name on the ballot for the November General Election.

On Monday, June 20th three such candidates made a visit to Lincoln, playing to an enthusiastic group of supporters gathered at the Oasis Senior Center.

The candidates on hand included Darren Bailey running for the gubernatorial nomination and Thomas Devore seeking nomination as the candidate on the ballot for the Illinois Attorney General. The third person on hand was Mary Miller, seeking nomination to be the candidate running for the United States House of Representatives for the new 15th District.



The first person to speak at the Monday meeting was candidate Mary Miller. Miller is an incumbent in her old district, and is now running against Rodney Davis in the newly formed 15th District of the United States House of Representatives. The new district was formed after the results of the latest census were published. Many Republicans say that the mapping was done to give weight to democrat voters and put republican voters and candidates a disadvantage at the polls. Miller supports that theory saying that the new district is gerrymandered.
 


Miller and her husband Chris are farmers in Coles County. She lives in a rural setting close to Oakland, a small town north of Charleston. She said the couple raises “corn, cattle and ‘kids,’ with seven children. We just welcomed our 19th grandchild.” She said that she was a great supporter of former President Donald Trump and had teased him once that she had provided him with the most votes from any one family.

Miller spoke about her achievements as an incumbent and condemned Rodney Davis for his poor voting record on conservative issues. She referred to Davis as “RINO Rodney” (Republican in name only) saying that he had told many untruths about her in an effort to distract from his own poor record as a conservative republican.

She said that she wants to support military and police and border control. She referred to Davis as a “passive place holder” and said that the people of Illinois need bold fighters in the House of Representatives.

Miller spoke on for several minutes offering comparison between herself and Davis and making every effort to solidify the idea that she would be a much better candidate on the ballot in November.



Later in the afternoon, Miller left the meeting just before Bailey finished his address. She was taken to the Veteran Tiny Home project where she met with recipients of two homes, Scott Jackson, and Dave and Tecia Hennessey.
 


While there she told Jackson that in spite of what is being said about her in the Davis campaign, she was a very strong supporter of the military and veterans.

Just prior to Bailey speaking, Thomas DeVore, who is running for Attorney General, spoke. DeVore is running against Steve Kim and David Shestokas for the Republican nomination. If he wins the nomination he will face the incumbent Democrat Kwame Raoul.

DeVore spent a good deal of his time at the podium solidifying his relationship with Darren Bailey. He spoke about the two working together to fight the mask mandate and then going about the state speaking to people trying to encourage them and support them during the coronavirus.

He said that the current administration was saying that they were working “to keep us safe (from covid),” but he and Bailey had to pose the question “Who is keeping us safe from you?” He said that Pritzker was promoting fear among the people to his benefit, but when Bailey and DeVore won the ruling regarding the mask mandates, people did not die.

He said that his role as the attorney general was to protect the people from those who would do harm, including the politicians both Republican and Democrat.

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He also said that the upcoming primary was perhaps the most important vote we will make in our lives. He recounted speaking to his three children who are all voting age and echoing that comment to them. He asked them who they would support for governor and they had replied that in their eyes, the only one who had ever stood with their father was Darren Bailey, and Bailey had earned their respect and their vote.

DeVore then introduced “Your next Governor for the State of Illinois, Darren Bailey.”

On the primary ballot for governor are six people on the Republican ticket and two on the Democrat Ticket.

Republican Darren Bailey is running against Paul Schimpf, Richard Irvin, Gary Rabine, Max Solomon and Jesse Sullivan. Democrat candidates include incumbent JB Pritzker and Beverly Miles. Bailey’s speech and campaign advertising over the past several months reflect that his only concerns among all the republicans is Richard Irvin. On the Democrat side, he appears to be assuming that Pritzker will win the democratic nomination.



On Monday, Bailey was scheduled to be in Lincoln at 1:30 p.m. but arrived 35 minutes late. He apologized profusely but said that the bus had made a stop and he had been approached by supporters who wished to speak with him. Though it was not on his schedule he had taken the time to hear from his future constituents.

Much of the time he spent addressing the Oasis gathering was used taking counter measures to belie comments and claims being made by Irvin and speaking about the terrible condition the state is in thanks to the Pritzker administration.

During the course of the afternoon, Irvin was referred to as “Democrat Dick” and Bailey talked up his belief that Irvine is not a true conservative Republican and that he will not work in the best interest of the people.

Bailey also talked about what is going to happen in the future if Pritzker remains in office. He says the state is in terrible financial condition, and inflation is choking the people of Illinois because of Pritzker’s outrageous spending.

He and others who spoke that day said that under the Pritzker administration citizens can expect inflation to continue to rise, they can expect terrible issues with energy supplies, and should be prepared for blackouts and brownouts from electric suppliers. He also warned of fuel rationing on the horizon.

Bailey spoke about his personal decisions to run for governor saying he was not a politician, did not like politicians and never really intended to get involved in government. However, a dissatisfaction with local government had led him to voice some complaints and concerns publicly and before he knew it he was in the running for a government position in the general assembly.

He recalled as a government representative taking on Pritzker in the Covid mask mandates and winning. He said that no government official or school official should supersede the decisions of parents when it came to having a child wear a face mask.

He said that he wants to give the people of Illinois what they desire, “The people of Illinois are desiring hope. The people of Illinois are desiring safe streets. The people of Illinois are desiring proper education. The people of Illinois are desiring less of a burden.”

Bailey made a point of acknowledging the veterans in the room and said they had signed up to serve and to protect freedom, “but what good is that if we give away our freedoms?”

Bailey also asked that everyone in the room go out and promote voting in the election among their friends and neighbors. He encouraged guests to obtain voting records for the county and see whose names are missing of people they know then go talk to those people about the primary and the upcoming election and encourage them to exercise their freedom of choice.

The General Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 28th. Lincoln Daily News provides a link to election information from the County Clerk as well as a collection of stories, press releases and letters of support on the topic of the primary election.

Follow the links to see sample ballots, polling places, and information about the candidates.

Logan Count Clerk Election Information – link

Where they Stand – link

NOTE: Lincoln Daily News offers equal coverage of all candidates visiting the county when made aware and able to attend visits, and does not endorse any of the candidates running for public office.

[Nila Smith]

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