Unopposed candidates running for Congress
A pair of Republican U.S. congresspeople representing portions of the Peoria area will be running unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election.
Darin LaHood (R)
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, who represents the 16th Congressional District in Illinois, will run unopposed in the general election on Nov. 5.
Full Name: Darin McKay LaHood
Age: 56
Current occupation: U.S. cepresentative, 16th Congressional District; son of former congressman and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Prior offices: Illinois State Senator, 37th Senate District: March 2011-Sept. 2015; Attorney, Miller, Hall & Triggs: 2006-2015; Assistant United States Attorney, District of Nevada: 2001-2006; Assistant State's Attorney, Tazewell County: 1999-2001; Assistant State's Attorney, Cook County: 1997-1999; Congressional Aide for U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA): 1990-1994
Education: Went to Spalding Institute and graduated in 1986; got his bachelor's degree in 1990 from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa and his law degree from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1997.
Views on key issues:
Economy: Is a classic small-government conservative who favors fewer regulations, simplifying the tax code and cutting spending. Disapproves of actions taken by the Biden administration to improve the nation's infrastructure and provide more robust social services.
Health Care: Wants a more "patient-centered" health care process through tax reforms and the repeal of "damaging" portions of the Affordable Care Act. Feels that the ACA was an overreach of government authority and wants a more competitive health insurance system.
Abortion: Supported repeal of Roe v. Wade, saying that the Dobbs decision, "was a win for our independent judiciary and the Constitution."
Guns: Is a strong Second Amendment supporter and owner of a FOID card, believes that "it is our constitutional right to bear arms and it should not be infringed."
Agriculture: Wants fewer regulations and expanded trade opportunities with allied countries to promote global competitiveness for local farmers.
Immigration: Wants the southern border secured and the nation's immigration laws enforced; wanted President Biden to "get serious" about securing the border from drug kingpins.
Ukraine and Israel: Voted in favor of suspending trade relations and energy imports from Russia after their invasion of Ukraine; also voted to impose sanctions on groups that supported Palestinian interests after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
Mary Miller (R)
Conservative firebrand Mary Miller is running unopposed in Illinois' 15th Congressional District, which includes parts of Mason, Fulton and McDonough counties in west-central Illinois.
Full Name: Mary E. Miller
Age: 65
Current occupation: U.S. Representative, 15th Congressional District; continues to run her family farm with her husband, Illinois State Sen. Chris Miller, and their seven children.
Prior roles: Also served as a teacher; no other prior political office before becoming a congresswoman
Education: Grew up in Naperville and graduated from Naperville Central High School in 1977; bachelor's degree in business management from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston in 1981; took some graduate level education courses, but didn't complete a graduate degree.
Views on key issues:
Economy: Miller believes that Biden's actions on the economy have caused an "extreme economic crisis as the cost of groceries, fuel, and fertilizer continue to rise," saying that the administration misled people by shrugging off inflation as only being "temporary." She praises former President Donald Trump for "the booming economy, energy independence, and low gas prices we had during (his) administration!"
Health care: Miller is focused on cost-reduction of health care, at the expense of programs like those funded by the Affordable Care Act, which she believes "does nothing to address cost reduction." She has referred to the ACA and similar single-payer-type plans to be "real policy objectives of the radical left."
Abortion: Supported repeal of Roe v. Wade, applauding Trump for appointing three justices that voted in favor of the Dobbs ruling: "I applaud President Trump, who delivered on his promise of a Court that would honor the Constitution and our sacred right to life."
Guns: Is an opponent of gun control legislation, saying that plans by Biden and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker were in violation of the Second Amendment: "The leftists pushing these gun confiscation policies have created a crime wave with their "woke" soft-on-crime policies and the open southern border. If they cared about public safety, they would secure the border and these leftist DAs would prosecute criminals instead of releasing them."
Agriculture: Serves on the House Agriculture Committee and introduced legislation that would require wind turbines on farmland to be made in the United States, ban China and other countries from purchasing American farm land and restrict the federal government from imposing regulations on farmers and ranchers.
Immigration: Criticized the Biden administration for their actions regarding border security, saying that he and Vice President Kamala Harris had "given criminal cartels operational control of our border, which has allowed the cartels to make billions of dollars by trafficking seven million foreign nationals and historic levels of deadly fentanyl into our country." She supported a bill that would restart the construction of a border wall in the Southwest, hiring more border patrol agents and ending the practice of "catch-and-release."
Ukraine and Israel: Supported suspending relations with Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine and supported punishing those who supported Hamas following their terrorist attack in Israel. However, she drew the line at additional funding of Ukraine's efforts, saying that they needed to address the border issues before focusing on foreign policy.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Darin LaHood and Mary Miller unopposed for congressional seats
