Mary Miller missing from IL GOP messaging

The Illinois GOP gathered last week in Springfield for the big Republican Day rally at the State Fair, but one prominent Republican up for reelection in November was noticeably absent — Rep. Mary Miller.

Why it matters: At a time when IL GOP party leaders are publicly acknowledging that President Joe Biden fairly won the 2020 election, journalists wonder whether Miller's robust enthusiasm for former President Donald Trump would have struck a sour note at the rally.

Flashback: Trump endorsed Miller in her primary victory over Rep. Rodney Davis.

• She has called the Jan. 6 committee the "witch hunt committee."
• Miller also spoke at a rally on Jan. 6, 2021, invoking a quote from Adolf Hitler.

What they're saying: When reporters repeatedly asked IL GOP chair Don Tracy about her absence at the rally, he responded, "I don't know where Mary Miller is."

• When asked whether Miller's vote against certifying the 2020 election was an issue for the GOP, Tracy said, "You'd have to ask Mary Miller about her vote."

Yes, but: Miller's office did not respond to our questions.

Between the lines: "The sooner all GOPers repudiate all Trump's actions, the better we can identify with average Americans who have been pummeled by Biden's bitter policy failures," GOP analyst and former Chicago commissioner of elections Chris Robling tells Axios.

• "Trump belongs in the rear-view mirror, getting smaller all the time."