(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump is coming to Illinois Saturday evening for a rally in Mendon. He’s making at least one endorsement, and maybe another.
In an interview with The Center Square Thursday, the former Republican president said he is endorsing U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, in the newly drawn 15th Congressional District.
“Well, she’s somebody I’ve gotten to know, she’s a high-quality person,” Trump said. “She’s been all for me all the way and you have to remember that. She’s just a good person and a very [Make America Great Again] person.”
Miller faces U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, in the primary June 28.
“Rodney said some very negative things about me at points and I said well you gotta remember that also, and Mary has been just terrific, a tremendous supporter,” Trump said.
Davis issued a statement last week that he’s proud of his “conservative record of working with Trump.”
“I would hope President Trump and Republican voters are aware of the baggage Mary Miller has, including a convicted pedophile serving as her personal driver, her rhetoric encouraging illegal immigration, her vote with the Socialist Squad to defund the military, and her close ties to an anti-Trump Super PAC,” Davis said. “Time and again, Mary Miller has put America last in Congress.”
Asked who he sees of the six Republicans vying for the GOP gubernatorial nomination as the greatest challenge to incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Trump said “it would look like” state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia.
“I haven’t made an endorsement, but he’s doing a good job, a lot of people are liking him and I think that, you know, he would potentially have a shot,” Trump said.
Bailey faces Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, entrepreneur Jesse Sullivan, Gary Rabine, Paul Schimpf and Max Solomon.
“Pritzker has been a terrible, terrible governor. He’s done just such a bad job with the lockdowns and with everything else,” Trump said. “But I think maybe Bailey would be the one.”
The primary election is Tuesday.