As President Donald Trump approaches the 2026 midterm elections with declining approval ratings, some Republicans from solidly Republican areas are beginning to show more distance from the White House on specific issues. This is evident in a report focused on Illinois’ three GOP House members.
In a February 13 report, the Chicago Tribune highlighted a change in tone among Reps. Darin LaHood, Mike Bost, and Mary Miller. LaHood has stood out for occasionally breaking publicly with the administration regarding controversies related to federal immigration enforcement. The Tribune noted that LaHood, a former prosecutor who has represented a heavily Republican district since 2015, has shown more willingness to question actions that have led to political backlash for Trump.
One major issue has been the shooting death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by Border Patrol agents during the administration’s immigration crackdown. The Tribune reported that the day after Pretti was killed, LaHood called for a “comprehensive and transparent investigation,” suggesting that it should include federal, state, and local law enforcement.
The Tribune also reported that LaHood made a similar statement after an ICE agent shot Renee Good in her car in early January. In an interview, LaHood stated that his focus was not on which level of government conducted the investigations but on how they were performed. He also expressed that he did not believe federal agents automatically had immunity from state and local prosecution.
At the same time, recent reports show that LaHood has not consistently diverged from Trump, even when he has raised policy concerns. On February 12, WGLT in Bloomington-Normal reported that LaHood voted against a House resolution that would have ended a national emergency Trump used to justify tariffs on Canada. LaHood described tariffs as harmful to farmers and said he was advocating for reductions. “Many of the farmers I represent in the agricultural community are suffering because of the tariffs,” LaHood told WGLT.
WGLT also reported that LaHood highlighted Congress’s constitutional role in trade policy, stating, “We in Congress have to be a co-equal branch of government when it comes to tariffs,” while calling tariffs “taxes on farmers, manufacturers, and producers.”
The Tribune’s account of LaHood’s balancing act occurs as Illinois’ three Republican House members have aligned with Trump on other priorities, including election policy messaging. Earlier this month, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Bost, Miller, and LaHood sent a February 2 letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections requesting more details on how voting records are checked, raising concerns about noncitizens, deceased voters, and people who have moved out of state still being eligible on voter rolls.
“For years, Illinois has refused to mandate voter ID, a commonsense election integrity measure,” the three lawmakers wrote. “The State also insists on counting mail-in ballots received long after election day, a controversial practice that is subject to ongoing litigation. Finally, Illinois refuses to set statewide guidance for voter list maintenance, a failure that raises serious questions about the integrity and accuracy of the state’s voter rolls.”
This dual approach, with tougher language toward federal agencies in high-profile cases while remaining aligned with Trump on party priorities, reflects the pressures Republicans face as they head toward November, especially if national challenges worsen. For House members in districts that rarely have close elections, the threat often comes less from a general-election opponent and more from a party primary shaped by activists and turnout.
In the tariffs debate, WGLT reported Trump warned Republicans on Truth Social that any lawmaker voting against tariffs would “seriously suffer the consequences come Election time,” especially in primaries.
The Tribune report portrayed LaHood’s public stance as a significant contrast within the Illinois GOP delegation. The party is trying to protect vulnerable seats nationally while managing backlash related to immigration enforcement tactics and other administration actions.
