Georgia Republican Rep. Rich McCormick filed for divorce from his wife this month and requested a mutual restraining order, sparking much speculation among his colleagues.
His wife, oncologist Debra Miller, to whom he has been married for 12 years, told DailyMail.com only that she was “sure he wouldn't come clean” if asked why the relationship had failed.
But Capitol Hill insiders said they saw McCormick, 55, “holding hands under the table” with Republican Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas).
A source added that he was seen “grabbing her in the back” during votes in the House chamber.
The two have been rumored to be dating since at least January, and Rich McCormick's followers may now be wondering: Who is Beth Van Duyne?
After 12 years of marriage and less than two years in Congress, Republican Rep. Richard McCormick of Georgia has filed for divorce from his wife, Dr. Debra Miller. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, speaks during the House Republican press conference on February 29
Born in upstate New York, Van Duyne moved to Texas as a teenager and built an impressive track record in local politics before running for office as a representative for Texas' 24th Congressional District.
During her rise, she received the support of Donald Trump in 2020, receiving around 65 percent of the vote in the March primaries.
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“Beth Van Duyne did an amazing job as Mayor of Irving, Texas in my administration,” the former president wrote on Twitter/X.
“She is a staunch conservative who supports border security, loves our military, supports our veterans and supports your Bill 2A.”
“Beth has my full support for Congress!” he exclaimed at the time.
On her campaign page, Beth explained that it was her two children from a previous marriage that inspired her to run for public office, warning of the “fragility” of this era for the nation, families and “the future of the American dream.”
She described herself as a single mother, conservative Republican and reformer who “defeated government corruption” and “helped create growth and new jobs” during her six-year tenure as mayor of Irving from 2011 to 2017.
At the time, she made history as the first woman to hold the office, claiming she brought the city “unprecedented economic growth… with 40,000 additional jobs and an estimated three billion dollars worth of growth and new development.”
In 2021, Beth's name made national headlines when her campaign communications director tragically shot herself in front of her home.
Richard Christian “Chris” Dillard – a former campaign staffer, political consultant and Republican activist – committed suicide outside her Irving home on February 10, 2021.
William Busby, spokesman for the Dallas County Republicans, told the Dallas Morning News that Dillard sought a job in Van Duyne's congressional office after her election, but was not offered one.
Authorities said Dillard died from a single gunshot wound.
“I have known him for years and he has been to my home countless times for holiday parties, fantasy football drafts and gatherings with friends,” Van Duyne said in a statement at the time.
“The last time I heard from him was in early January via text message, I was trying to send him pictures of his family,” she said, describing how “devastated” she was for Dillard's mother and children.
Texas Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne of TX 24 lawmakers, including Rep. Ronny Jackson, Rep. Beth Van Duyne and Rep. Ashley Hinson, react as U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address, February 7, 2023. Campaign Communications Manager Chris Dillard pictured with Beth Van Duyne, undated
Since then, Van Duyne has steadily made a name for himself in Congress and was finally appointed to the leadership team of the Trump 2024 campaign in March.
Van Duyne calls for a return to Trump's economic policies and claims he is “focused on the following…” [helping] Individuals keep more of their income, can find affordable and reliable energy supplies, and enable the expansion of manufacturing in the United States.
On Facebook this week, she announced that she would deport “foreigners” accused of crimes related to what she described as “anti-American, pro-terrorist demonstrations taking place across our country.”
Among the policies likely to resonate with her base is Van Duyne's opposition to the 2022 Ukraine aid package, which provides $40 billion in emergency aid to the Ukrainian government in the face of the Russian invasion.
However, she also called for the impeachment of President Biden for the “egregious offense” of “withholding congressionally authorized aid” to Israel, warning that restricting “urgently needed aid … puts our allies at risk.”
Outside of politics, Van Duyne describes herself as a pro-lifer, proud mother and Christian.
In 2012, a year after taking office as mayor of Irving, she separated from her long-time partner Chris “Casey” Wallach, whom she had met while studying at Cornell University.
Van Duyne tells how she left home at 17 to pay for college, where she graduated with honors with a BA in Urban and Regional Planning, Government and Law.
The couple was married for 17 years before announcing their separation.
Rumors about Van Duyne's relationship with Rich McCormick were first reported by DailyMail.com – but sources say there has been speculation internally since January 2024, according to the New York Post.
A source told DailyMail.com they saw Van Duyne holding McCormick's arm as he walked out of the Longworth Office building late at night.
And during the State of the Union address on March 7, the two were seen sitting together and laughing as they watched Biden's speech.
Rich McCormick (center) with his wife Dr. Debra Miller (left) and seven children Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) at a press conference on June 14, 2023
In a tender moment between the two, captured on camera, McCormick even reached out to gently squeeze Van Duyne's arm.
A spokesman for McCormick did not confirm or deny the relationship, the New York Post reported, but said the “rumor mill” was “nothing new.”
They added that McCormick and his wife had been separated for some time.
“He has kept this a secret and will continue to keep his private life out of the media spotlight.”
When asked if the divorce was about an alleged affair he may have had with a colleague, his soon-to-be ex-wife Miller replied: “You should ask Rich and his colleague that.”
