Quincy The first step for Democrats seeking to run for office in Downstate Illinois is to have candidates.
In 2024, Rep. Mary Miller, a Republican from Oakland, ran uncontested for the 15th District. Since her district is firmly red, most political analysts believe Miller, who will be in Quincy on Saturday to deliver the keynote address at the Adams County Republican Central Committee’s Lincoln-Reagan-Trump Dinner, is secure in her seat.
However, the two-term congresswoman is being challenged by three candidates, who will face battle in the March 17, 2026, primary. During the Adams County Democratic Central Committee’s barbeque fundraiser at the Machinists Lodge last week, they had a meeting with local Democrats.
According to local Democrats, they are dedicated to placing candidates on the ballot so that there is competition in every race and a decision to be taken.
Katherine Daniels, the elected chair of the Adams County Democratic Central Committee, stated that we must have other options regardless of whether people are paying attention. The purpose of the event was to bring the local party members together in addition to introducing the candidates.
“We bring like-minded individuals together to encourage civic engagement,” Daniels added. Additionally, the candidates are there so that people can meet them. Supporting Democratic candidates is the goal, and we accomplish this by bringing them here so that people may hear them and learn more about their platforms.
Blue Missouri’s executive director, Jess Piper, spoke during the cookout. Seeing how many Missouri elections went uncontested, Blue Missouri raises money for Democratic candidates further down the ticket.
According to Piper, Kamala Harris received [more than 40%] of the vote in Missouri. People claim that since it’s a red state, there’s no use in taking any action. If you don’t run for office, you’re leaving a lot of people on the table [more than 40%].
Piper tries to remind the Democratic Party to pay attention to the rural vote, which the party has long neglected. She urged voters to speak with their neighbors.
“I hope people realize that there are others who are just like them,” Piper added. even in red states, and that every neighborhood or vote matters.
Here are the responses from each contender for the Illinois 15th District Seat when asked about the district’s main problems and their motivations for running.
Raley, Randy
After 48 years of radio work, Randy Raley is now campaigning for [his] grandchildren. Raley, who receives Medicare and Social Security, is concerned about these programs. He intends to speak with as many constituents as he can during his campaign in order to hear their opinions.
Principal Concerns:
- 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.
Motivation 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, a veterinarian, is running because he believes that we have lost the ability to come together as a country. Having a scientific background, he is worried about a society that politicizes public health and challenges science.
Principal Concerns:
- 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.
Motivation 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.
Todd Jennier
Jennifer Todd is a single mother of a transgender daughter and has been a nurse for thirty years. She now resides in Edwardsville after growing up in Southern Illinois, and she discovers that she has some things that need to be attended to.
Principal Concerns:
- 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.
Motivation 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.
