Republican · Illinois's 15th District · 2026
Mary Miller
Miller and her husband, Chris, raised seven children on their family's cattle and grain farm near Oakland.
Biography
Mary Miller and her husband, Chris, raised seven children on their family's cattle and grain farm.1 Her working life has included farming and teaching, and she has also taught Sunday school.2.1 She now chairs the Congressional Family Caucus.3
Miller was born in Oak Park and graduated from Naperville Central High School in 1977.2 She earned a bachelor's degree in business management at Eastern Illinois University, completed graduate coursework in education and obtained an Illinois teaching certificate.3 Her campaign says Donald Trump's presidency inspired her decision to run for Congress in 2020.1
She entered Congress in January 2021 as a Republican representing Illinois' 15th District.2 She serves on the Agriculture, Education and Workforce, and House Administration committees.3 She is also a member of the House Freedom Caucus and Republican Study Committee.3
Her positions include lower taxes, reduced federal spending and stronger enforcement of immigration laws.4 She supports the SAVE America Act's proposed requirements for documentary proof of citizenship when registering and photo identification when voting in federal elections.5 Her published campaign platform also emphasizes gun rights, opposition to abortion and opposition to federal vaccine mandates.1 On agriculture, she has supported crop insurance, rural broadband expansion and restrictions on Chinese purchases of U.S. farmland.1 She has also sponsored legislation seeking to limit EPA regulation of farm and ranch water.1
Record and controversies
Hitler reference and apology
While discussing the importance of reaching young people at a January 2021 rally, Miller said, “Hitler was right on one thing.”6 She apologized for the harm and regretted using the reference, saying she intended to warn parents about destructive outside influences and that critics were distorting her beliefs.6 She also described herself as an ally of the Jewish community.6
Abortion rally remark and campaign explanation
Deleted post about a Sikh House prayer
In June 2025, Miller said a guest's prayer in the House should not have been allowed, initially misidentifying the Sikh faith leader as Muslim and asserting that government should reflect America's Christian founding.8 She corrected the religious identification, then deleted the post; her campaign did not answer FOX 32 Chicago's request for comment by its June 7 report.8