Mary E. Miller, U.S. Representative of Illinois's 15th congressional district (R) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Miller_(politician)
Mary E. Miller, U.S. Representative of Illinois's 15th congressional district (R) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Miller_(politician)
Mary Miller, the representative for Illinois' 15th Congressional District, attributed the state's high crime rates to Governor J.B. Pritzker's policies. She said that these policies have led to higher crime rates in Illinois compared to Los Angeles or New York City.
"JB Pritzker is tying the hands of law enforcement in Illinois," said Mary E. Miller, U.S. Representative of Illinois's 15th congressional district (R), according to Facebook. "It's no coincidence that Illinois is now seeing higher crime rates than major cities like LA and NYC. His failed policies are putting lives at risk."
According to a Facebook post by Miller, she linked to a Wirepoints article discussing Chicago's homicide rate. The article highlighted that while Chicago's murder rate has decreased by 29% since its peak of 804 murders in 2021, the decline is not as significant as in other cities. In 2024, Chicago recorded 21.5 murders per 100,000 residents, significantly higher than New York City's 4.6 and Los Angeles's 6.8. The article attributes this disparity to policies perceived as anti-police and lenient on crime.
Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Mary Miller's May 14 Facebook post
| U.S. Rep. Mary Miller's Facebook page
WBEZ reported on April 2 that there were 96 murders in Chicago during the first quarter of 2025. Jeff Asher, a data analyst from New Orleans who studies crime trends in cities like Chicago, noted that the city's murder rate decline mirrors trends seen in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Despite a surge in violent crime four to five years ago, violent crime rates in Chicago have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Asher advocates for further research to understand the factors behind this decline, even as the Chicago Police Department continues to lose officers since 2019. He suggests that a combination of interventions and policies could be contributing to this trend.
Miller is currently serving in the U.S. Congress, representing Illinois’ 15th district after replacing John Shimkus in 2021. She graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1959, Miller now resides in Oakland with her husband and their family farm business. She has seven children and twenty grandchildren.
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