North Cook News

Katie Miller said Gov. Bruce Rauner’s refusal to debate Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) before the upcoming March primary is because he fears his Republican peers' judgment.

“I believe that Gov. Rauner knows that some for the Republican base is not happy with some of his decisions,” Miller told the North Cook News. “I think he does not want to debate and bring those subjects up.”

Guest columnist Scott Reeder wrote in the Chicago Tribune Jan. 25 that Rauner has refused multiple attempts to debate Ives.

Katie Miller

“The University of Illinois at Springfield, WMAY radio and the State Journal-Register tried to organize a GOP debate for next month, but according to the newspaper Rauner has indicated he won’t go,” Reeder writes.  

The House hopeful looking to replace retiring Rep. David Harris (R-Arlington Heights) said she believes debates are important for the voters.

“In debates people can see the differences in candidates,” Miller said. “You can see their strengths and weaknesses. It also makes candidates get out of their talking points. I think debates are important, so voters have as much information they can have about their candidates.”

Reeder said Rauner has called Ives a “fringe candidate.”

“Well, I know Ives and I respect her. She has six years of service in the Illinois General Assembly under her belt,” Reeder wrote. “That’s six more years of elected public service than Rauner had when he was running for governor four years ago. So, in that sense, she is less of a ‘fringe candidate’ than when the governor first ran.”

Miller, who is seeking the 53rd District seat that covers Prospect Heights and Mount Prospect, agrees with Reeder.

“I believe that the governor is avoiding debating Rep. Ives,” Miller said. “It is hard to know why people do what they do however, there has been many requests for a debate and Gov. Rauner has not agreed to any of them.”

Though Miller will not have to debate against a fellow Republican, she would be ready, she said, noting the three arguments she would fight on.

“I am experienced,” Miller, a longtime nurse at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates and case manager at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, said. “I have worked hard for everything I have, and I understand how when taxes increase how it affects families’ budgets.”

She was not picked by the establishment, she said.

“I challenged the current state representative when he was still in race,” Miller said. “I came in the race because I didn’t agree with (the) budget that passed, before the current state representative retired.”

She is a fresh face and mind, she added.

“My career has not been in politics,” Miller said. "We need to come together after the primary as a party and support each other."