Rep. Mary Miller defeated Rep. Rodney Davis in a House primary in Illinois after redistricting pitted two incumbent Republicans against each other, NBC News projected.
Miller held a 15 point advantage over Davis with nearly all of the expected vote counted.
Miller's victory was a victory for the former President Donald Trump, who backed her as part of his effort to oust several incumbent Republicans that were deemed insufficiently loyal. Davis supported the creation of an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 riot, as well as a compromise to Trump's demands for an independent commission. Davis supported the never-chartered independent commission, not the House select committee that is now investigating the Capitol attack, which held its sixth public hearing Tuesday.
Trump suffered losses in Georgia, South Carolina and Idaho in the weeks leading up to Tuesday's primary. He was successful in his effort to oust Rep. Tom Rice, R-S. C. who voted to impeach Trump after the riot. Trump also succeeded in defeating Rep. David McKinley, R-W. V., who lost to Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W. V. after both were drawn into the same district.
Davis and Miller competed in the newly redrawn 15th congressional district, which now includes a swath of the state that is solidly red. Davis, whose previous district necessitated a moderate hand, was at a disadvantage with an electorate that is more conservative.
Trump paid the district a visit on Saturday for a rally backing Miller, who tried to ride momentum from the event into a victory on Tuesday. The appearance was marred by Miller credited with victory for white life — a reference to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that provided constitutional protections for abortion rights.
Her campaign said she misread prepared remarks that included the phrase Right to Life, and Miller later told a local radio station that she is not racist. The video of Trump standing on stage just behind her quickly went viral online, because Miller had previously praised Hitler on Jan. 6, 2021, for his youth engagement strategy. She later apologized for that comment.
Davis, the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, blasted Miller for her white life remark, saying the comments were just another part of a disturbing pattern of behavior she has shown since coming to Congress, saying she has demonstrated she is not fit for public office. Miller has a decidedly pro-Trump voting record than Davis, one of the moderate members of the House GOP conference, though Davis has promoted where he aligns with Trump throughout the campaign. Miller voted to reject the certified electors on January 6 while Davis voted to approve the counting of electoral votes, something Miller repeatedly hammered home to supporters.
Davis had more money in his campaign coffers than Miller, a first-term member. The run-up to the election showed a tight race that could have gone either way.
After his defeat, Davis offered a statement congratulating Miller and President Trump on their victory tonight. As Republicans are poised to retake the House, it is paramount that Republicans in Congress work to end dysfunction and deliver results for the American people, and that is a hard-fought campaign, and I wish her the best in representing the citizens of the 15th District, he said.