Illinois's U.S. Congressional District 15 Candidates Introduce Themselves to Voters at Forum

EDWARDSVILLE - The League of Women Voters and the NAACP hosted a candidate forum ahead of the primary election on March 17, 2026. Candidates for Illinois’s 15th Congressional District include Ryan Tebrugge (R), Judy Bowlby (R), Randy Raley (D), Jennifer Todd (D), Kyle Nudo (D) and Dr. Paul Davis (D). Incumbent Mary Miller (R) was unable to attend.

During the forum on Feb. 25, 2026, each candidate introduced themselves and answered questions.

Tebrugge shared that he grew up on a farm in a middle-class family. He is focused on energy bills, job creation, and bringing tax money back to the district.

“I believe in the concept of showing up and being present in the district, and I think that is where our current representative is failing,” he said. “I’m trying to solve problems, not create more of them for you, and I’m trying to get us back to common sense.”

Bowlby described herself as a moderate who will use the Constitution as her guide. She has worked as a counselor and a government affairs representative.

“I did not run because I need this job. I have no desire to be a career politician,” she said. “I came out of retirement because there is a better way for government officials to conduct themselves and care for the people of Illinois.”

Raley is a trained communicator, a former farmer, and a former union steward who wants broadband for every household, a single-payer health plan, and less big ag.

“The future is up to you,” he said. “I believe I have the fire and the passion and the wherewithal to take on Mary Miller toe to toe and, when I get to Washington, to take on MAGA and the administration toe to toe.”

Todd is a nurse and a single mom to a transgender daughter. She decided to run after the “Big Ugly Bill” passed, adding she is "heartbroken" about cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

“The 15th District has been so neglected and abandoned for the past five years,” she said. “I’m just like everyone else. I’ve been on Medicaid. I’ve been on SNAP benefits. I’ve been on unemployment. I know the struggle, and that’s what I’m here to help solve.”

Nudo is a member of three labor unions and wants to support the working class. He said he has led wage initiatives to support union members and has lived a “life of service.”

“I am standing to restore the American dream and make it affordable, achievable and attainable,” he said. “When I look at this, all I see is that Mary Miller has violated every value that we were ever raised to uphold.”

Davis is a veterinarian who believes small businesses and family farms are “the backbone of our district.” He also expressed concerns about the “anti-science culture.”

“I am concerned that as a district and a nation, we’ve lost our center,” he said. “Our politics have become too extreme, too divisive, and much too disconnected from those of us that they are supposed to serve.”

The primary election is scheduled for March 17, 2026.

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