A right-wing freshman congresswoman who called the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v Wade victory for “white life” beat her more established opponent in the Republican primary for Illinois’ 15th district.
Representative Mary Miller, who was elected in 2020, defeated representative Rodney Davis in a member-on-member primary after redistricting by Democrats in the state legislature led to the two facing off.
Ms Miller ran an ad that painted Mr Davis as a Republican in Name Only--known as a RINO--and in an advertisement hit him for supporting so-called “red flag” gun laws which allow for authorities to obtain court orders to prevent people who pose a danger to themselves and others from obtaining firearms.
In the past, Mr Davis had voted for such legislation but was not among the 14 Republicans who voted to pass gun legislation that President Joe Biden signed late last week.
Similarly, Ms Miller criticised Mr Davis--who was ranking member of the House Administration Committee-for voting for the “January 6 witch hunt commission.” Mr Davis voted for a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 riot, but not to create the select committee that is currently investigating the Capitol riot.
Had Mr Davis said won his race, he would have become chairman of the Administration Committee. Last year, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy selected him to serve on the select committee investigating the January 6 attack, but pulled him and other members after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to seat Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana.
Former president Donald Trump endorsed her efforts and held a rally with Ms Miller, wherein she praised the Supreme Court for its Dobbs v Jackson decision that overturned Roe v Wade, which guaranteed the right to seek an abortion.
“President Trump, on behalf of all the Maga patriots in America, I want to thank you for the historic victory for white life in the Supreme Court yesterday”, she said. Her spokesman later attributed it to “a mix-up of words.”
It wasn’t the first time that Ms Miller faced controversy. On 6 January, before the riot, she quoted Adolf Hitler.
“Hitler was right on one thing: whoever has the youth has the future”, she said, though later apologised.
