Patterico's Pontifications

10/29/2021

Rep. Adam Kinzinger Decides Not Seek Re-Election

Filed under: General — Dana @ 2:04 pm



[guest post by Dana]

Kinzinger made the announcement on Twitter today:

A few quotes from his announcement:

As a country, we must unplug from the mistruths we’ve been fed. In Congress, I’ve witnessed how division is heavily rooted. There’s little to no desire to bridge our differences. And unity is no longer a word we use. It has also become increasingly obvious to me that in order to break the narrative. I cannot focus on both a reelection to Congress and a broader fight nationwide.

This isn’t the end of my political future, but the beginning. Serving six terms in Congress, has been an honor of a lifetime.

Clearly, Trump will be checking this off on his payback to-do list:

Trump referenced the political consequences of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him in a statement reacting to Kinzinger’s announcement, writing “2 down 8 to go!” GOP Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, who also voted to impeach Trump, announced last month his plans to leave Congress.

Kinzinger had demonstrated loyalty to the Constitution and voted to impeach the former president, as well as voting for the contempt resolution against Steve Bannon. When he made the decision to sit on the Jan. 6 commission and explained why he was compelled to do so:

“For months, we have searched for answers and what process we should use to get them. For months, lies and conspiracy theories have been spread, threatening our self-governance. For months, I have said that the American people deserve transparency and truth on how and why thousands showed up to attack our democracy, and ultimately, what led to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Complex on January 6, 2021.

“Self-governance requires accountability and responsibility. My faith requires the same of me, truth is necessary for order, and that’s what I will do. Let me be clear, I’m a Republican dedicated to conservative values, but I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution—and while this is not the position I expected to be in or sought out, when duty calls, I will always answer.

“This moment requires a serious, clear-eyed, non-partisan approach. We are duty-bound to conduct a full investigation on the worst attack on the Capitol since 1814 and to make sure it can never happen again.

Due to recent redistricting, Kinzinger would have faced an uphill re-election battle:

The reshaping of congressional districts was likely a factor in the decision. Because of Illinois redistricting after the 2020 census, GOP Rep. Darin LaHood and Kinzinger’s district would be in the same district, according to an updated map released hours earlier Friday. If that were the case, LaHood and Kinzinger would have had to run in the same June 2022 Republican primary. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign it into law.

If the LaHood name sounds familiar, it should:

LaHood, a native of Peoria, Illinois, is the son of Ray LaHood,[3][4] the 16th United States Secretary of Transportation and before then seven-term U.S. Representative for the district his son currently represents.

LaHood, a Trump supporter, obviously did not vote to impeach Trump. Amusingly, he claimed that to impeach the president would have been divisive:

“I oppose impeachment. Pushing articles of impeachment days before the inauguration will only inflame and further divide our country.”

These days, MAGA owns the GOP, and Republicans who are vocal in their opposition to Trump and his influence and want to see the GOP completely cut ties with the former president find themselves in increasingly hostile territory. So the question now is: who’s next?

–Dana

38 Responses to “Rep. Adam Kinzinger Decides Not Seek Re-Election”

  1. Hello. Personally, when something like this happens it only confirms that my decision to leave the GOP was the right thing to do.

    Dana (174549) — 10/29/2021 @ 2:04 pm

  2. His district has been gerrrymandered out of existence:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/us/politics/illinois-democrats-gerrymander.html

    Illinois Democrats’ Map Aims to Grab 2 G.O.P. Seats in Congress

    The districts would be among the most gerrymandered in the country. The Republican-friendly seat held by Representative Adam Kinzinger, a Trump antagonist, would be eliminated.

    Published Oct. 15, 2021

    Updated Oct. 29, 2021, 11:18 a.m. ET

    Illinois Democrats on Friday proposed a new set of highly gerrymandered congressional maps that would consolidate Democratic power in the state’s congressional delegation, most likely cutting the number of Republican seats in the state to three from five.

    The proposal would eliminate the Republican-friendly seat held by Representative Adam Kinzinger, a Trump antagonist and a Republican whose current district hugs the Chicago exurbs and parts of northern and central Illinois.

    …Mr. Kinzinger, a six-term congressman, has for months said he plans to seek re-election to the House and dismissed suggestions that he run for governor against the Democratic incumbent, J.B. Pritzker, or the Senate, against Senator Tammy Duckworth. But on Friday, with his home drawn into a Democrat-heavy district held by Representative Marie Newman, Mr. Kinzinger said he would consider seeking a different office.

    Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/29/2021 @ 2:12 pm

  3. For the umpteenth time. The republican party is now populist. Free trade economic libertarian conservatives, neo-con artists and their wealthy masters need not apply. Kinzinger is a unicorn. Liz cheney is next!

    asset (cf8866) — 10/29/2021 @ 2:17 pm

  4. Pushing articles of impeachment days before the inauguration will only inflame and further divide our country.

    That was a true statement. He could have also said

    Not pushing articles of impeachment days before the inauguration will only inflame and further divide our country.

    and it have been an equally true statement.

    frosty (f27e97) — 10/29/2021 @ 2:21 pm

  5. He can be the 3rd to join this new emerging party.

    urbanleftbehind (321612) — 10/29/2021 @ 2:41 pm

  6. LaHood is a money-trough supporter, like his dad. The wind is currently blowing from Vichy so that’s where his allegiance lies. His dad supported Obama, if it meant a Cabinet Post.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/29/2021 @ 2:57 pm

  7. Maybe he can run as a Federalist.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/29/2021 @ 2:58 pm

  8. it only confirms that my decision to leave the GOP was the right thing to do.

    Show me what effective party I can join and I’ll do it too. But for me it would only be narcissism to leave the GOP when it needs more people like me, not fewer.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/29/2021 @ 3:00 pm

  9. “When you strike at the King, you must kill him”

    The nevertrump Rep. wing of the party was always pretty small, but they seemed to misunderstand that even if Trump lost the Presidency, the guy who got 74,000,000 votes was still going to hold a lot of loyalty back in their districts. People like to portray the impeachment(s) as entirely about holding up the Constitution, when its not. It’s often how the opposing team wounds the President politically and I think most Trump voters saw the impeachments as naked politics.
    They saw the parade of liars in the Kavanaugh hearings, the Russian collusion lies and assumed everything coming from that side of the aisle was lies. All politicians lie, but I think Kavanaugh hearings made everything the Democrats said from that point on taste like poisoned fruit.

    Now they are lying to us about Joe. Joe is a dementia patient AND President. Joe had no idea France was cut out of the Australian submarine deal, and today, no idea that the WH told us three weeks ago that of course Joe knew.

    So now the people back home may all not be super loyal to Trump, they are angry their Rep helped put this puppet of the far left in power and think Trump warts and all would be doing a better job

    steveg (e81d76) — 10/29/2021 @ 3:07 pm

  10. “Show me what effective party I can join and I’ll do it too. But for me it would only be narcissism to leave the GOP when it needs more people like me, not fewer.”

    No party that wants to be popular and win needs scolds and rules-lawyers for its own side. The place for you, nk, and the rest of the ‘conservative because I’m a liberal’ GOP is with the Lincoln Project, currently serving as the ISIS-K to the Democratic Taliban and “claiming responsibility” for their libelous terrorist attacks.

    That way, at least you can get paid under the table for constantly surrendering to the interests your enemies.

    Tikigater (0f561a) — 10/29/2021 @ 3:08 pm

  11. Off-topic: U.S. in Talks to Pay Hundreds of Millions to Families Separated at Border

    Government is considering payments of $450,000 per person affected by Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy in 2018

    WASHINGTON—The Biden administration is in talks to offer immigrant families that were separated during the Trump administration around $450,000 a person in compensation, according to people familiar with the matter, as several agencies work to resolve lawsuits filed on behalf of parents and children who say the government subjected them to lasting psychological trauma.

    The U.S. Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services are considering payments that could amount to close to $1 million a family, though the final numbers could shift, the people familiar with the matter said. Most of the families that crossed the border illegally from Mexico to seek asylum in the U.S. included one parent and one child, the people said. Many families would likely get smaller payouts, depending on their circumstances, the people said.

    The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents families in one of the lawsuits, has identified about 5,500 children separated at the border over the course of the Trump administration, citing figures provided to it by the government. The number of families eligible under the potential settlement is expected to be smaller, the people said, as government officials aren’t sure how many will come forward. Around 940 claims have so far been filed by the families, the people said.

    The total potential payout could be $1 billion or more.

    Trump is all over this as 1) He’s right and 2) Biden is beyond crazy. This is the kind of thing that sinks entire parties. It is such a perfectly triangulated “own goal” that it is hard to see how Biden could unify his opposition more accurately.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/29/2021 @ 3:09 pm

  12. If the U.S. government (us taxpayers) provides any money to illegal immigrants whose families were separated at the border, I will become a Trump voter.

    norcal (b9a35f) — 10/29/2021 @ 4:31 pm

  13. It will just attract more illegal immigrants.

    norcal (b9a35f) — 10/29/2021 @ 4:32 pm

  14. This is a good example of how Gerrymandering is bad for the country.

    Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/29/2021 @ 4:32 pm

  15. @1 when democrats gerrymander a republican district out of existence i guess it’s time to leave the gop

    those darn republicans!

    JF (e1156d) — 10/29/2021 @ 4:44 pm

  16. http://ratings.conservative.org/people/K000378

    The guy was NeverTrump, but he sure wasn’t conservative.

    Is that what makes a Republican?

    NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/29/2021 @ 4:55 pm

  17. Rob, he looks like moderate conservative that needed to take positions that would allow him to win a competitive district. He will be replaced by someone that needs to take extreme positions (which today means adherence to a number of conspiracy theories and acceptance of corruption) who has to win in the primary. The dem will also be able to put more extreme left wing candidates in office since they’ll have more safe districts.

    This is bad all around.

    Time123 (9f42ee) — 10/29/2021 @ 5:03 pm

  18. Here is the gerrymander that Illinois Democrats drew to knock Kinzinger out Congress. I wish him well. He has a great future outside of TrumpWorld.

    Paul Montagu (5de684) — 10/29/2021 @ 5:06 pm

  19. For the umpteenth time. The republican party is now populist.

    So what. It’s a losing formula.

    Paul Montagu (5de684) — 10/29/2021 @ 5:07 pm

  20. Nonsense Time123. He’s a moderate leftist that took gun control positions and other leftist positions because he thought the lefties in Illinois would gerrymander another seat. No such luck.

    NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/29/2021 @ 5:31 pm

  21. What’s a “moderate conservative” Time?

    NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/29/2021 @ 5:31 pm

  22. Trump does not want a Republican Congress. He wants not to be remembered as a loser who spent most of his Presidency playing golf and jerking off.

    This is typical Trump. He had nothing to do with driving Kinzinger or Gonzalez out of office. The census did that. Illinois and Ohio each lost a district. The redrawing would have pitted them against Republican incumbents from an existing Republican district. No net win for the GOP, either way, and only a nasty primary in sight. Not being Trump, they decided to withdraw gracefully. Abi, abi, abi, that’s all, folks!

    nk (1d9030) — 10/29/2021 @ 5:39 pm

  23. Rep. Adam Kinzinger Decides Not Seek Re-Election

    Who?

    mg (8cbc69) — 10/29/2021 @ 5:44 pm

  24. #18 Paul Montagu – Thanks for the map of the district. My first reaction — which may be wrong — is that the Democrats are afraid of him, to go to that much work.

    And, for what it is worth, Adam Kinzinger appears to be a formidable candidate; he has no losses on his record, and he ran far ahead of Trump in 2020.

    The voters there may have been impressed, as I am, by his three tours of duty in Iraq.

    (Many years ago, there was a moderate Democrat in upstate New York that the Republicans keep trying to get rid of. I recall that at one point they gave him a district that looked like a submarine, and stretched half way across the state. Unfortunately for the Republicans, he was likeable sort, and a fine campaigner, and kept winning.

    Then there was a moderate Republican in the Maryland DC suburbs, who was also a likeable sort, and a fine campaigner, during the Gingrich era. As I recall, it took the Democrats three tries before they were able to gerrymander her into a district she couldn’t win.)

    Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/29/2021 @ 6:44 pm

  25. A glance at the Wikipedia entry for current Democratic governor of Illinois, J. B. Pritzker, suggest that he could be beaten by Kinzinger — though I am not sure he would want the job, since Illinois is broke, broke, broke.

    (FWIW, Pritzker is currently under federal investigation for cheating on taxes.)

    Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/29/2021 @ 7:07 pm

  26. #23 mg That’s Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Adam Kinzinger, who has flown missions in “South America, Guam, Iraq and Afghanistan”.

    In 2006, he was the Wisconsin Red Cross’s “Hero of the Year”.

    (Minor correction: He served only two tours of duty in Iraq. On the other hand, he has also served on the Mexican-American border.)

    Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/29/2021 @ 7:16 pm

  27. Kinzinger and his wife are expecting a baby in January. Priorities.

    Dana (174549) — 10/29/2021 @ 9:02 pm

  28. He’s a moderate leftist that took gun control positions and other leftist positions because he thought the lefties in Illinois would gerrymander another seat.

    Unlike you, Rob, I’m not going to read his mind about what he thought “lefties in Illinois” would do, but a “moderate leftist” doesn’t vote with Trump 90.2% of the time. This is really about his “disloyalty” to your Orange Idol and his tribe.

    Paul Montagu (5de684) — 10/29/2021 @ 9:45 pm

  29. For the umpteenth time, the Trumplican hostility to Kinzinger (and Cheney) has exactly nothing to do with policy. It’s unlikely that the people calling him a traitor have any idea how he voted on issues, or even care. Liz Cheney voted with Trump on policy more than Elise Stefanik did.

    Trumplicans revile Kinzinger because he took the position that a sitting president has no legal right to overturn the will of the people so he can stay in power, and should face a penalty if he attempts to do so.

    Radegunda (96c736) — 10/29/2021 @ 11:37 pm

  30. It’s funny. There’s a fevered effort (fervent, also) to put lipstick on the pig and the pig keeps rubbing it off in the mud.

    nk (1d9030) — 10/30/2021 @ 5:59 am

  31. 9. steveg (e81d76) — 10/29/2021 @ 3:07 pm

    Joe had no idea France was cut out of the Australian submarine deal,

    More likely, he didn’t know they weren’t being told that Australia was planning not to buy them.

    24. Jim Miller (edcec1) — 10/29/2021 @ 6:44 pm

    #18 Paul Montagu – Thanks for the map of the district. My first reaction — which may be wrong — is that the Democrats are afraid of him, to go to that much work.

    They are afraid pf people like him They don;t want there to be any known non-Trump Republicans. That’s why they picked this district to be the one they got rid of.

    (Many years ago, there was a moderate Democrat in upstate New York that the Republicans keep trying to get rid of. I recall that at one point they gave him a district that looked like a submarine, and stretched half way across the state. Unfortunately for the Republicans, he was likeable sort, and a fine campaigner, and kept winning.

    This year there;s a state constutional amendment to make gerrymandering easier, by half undoing a previous amendment (and contrary to what Democrats in Congress are promoting nationwide.

    So, naturally, (sarc) the New York State Conservative Party runs a radio ad focusing on a minor provision that will make no difference, but just attempts to lock in current national law, by claiming this amendment will benefit illegal immigrants by making sure they are counted in population figures. Aa if, even if this was allowed, you would have not any ability to use citizens because you don;t have data down to the census tract level. The only other theoretically possible alternative basis for apportionment is registered voters or votes cast in the presidential election. But the constitution made population the basis for apportionment between states and not adult male citizens or something to do with wealth (except possibly for the 3/5 rule in the original constitution).

    Then there was a moderate Republican in the Maryland DC suburbs, who was also a likeable sort, and a fine campaigner, during the Gingrich era. As I recall, it took the Democrats three tries before they were able to gerrymander her into a district she couldn’t win.)

    20 years, or kess because of lawsuits?

    Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 10/31/2021 @ 11:55 am

  32. Joe had no idea France was cut out of the Australian submarine deal

    True, but hair-gel guy was no better.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/31/2021 @ 2:58 pm

  33. The guy was NeverTrump, but he sure wasn’t conservative.

    Were does it say the GOP is a conservative party? It’s center-right, with several wings. Right now, its populist wing is trying to redefine itself as 1) conservative and 2) the entire Republican Party. It will fail, just as Goldwater failed in ’64 and Nixon & Ford failed to eradicate in the 70’s.

    Conservative doesn’t mean what Trump says it means, not what most of his supporters says it means. As debased as the term is, radical change like Trump attempted is NOT conservative at all.

    Trump is a Right-leaning Statist.

    Kinziger is far closer to the “Conservative” corner of the Nolan chart than Trump, on both social and economic issues.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/31/2021 @ 3:09 pm

  34. BTW, this is the second time the IL Dems have eliminated Kinziger’s district; they did the same thing in 2010. Funny, though, they never complain about their own gerrymanders.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/31/2021 @ 3:10 pm

  35. So, Kinziger backs concealed carry, opposes SSM, transgender “rights”, late-term abortion, sanctuary cities, Obamacare and most everything the Democrats want. He praised Trump’s killing of Soleimani.

    But he thinks Donald Trump is a clear & present danger, so he’s not conservative? Phooey.

    Kevin M (ab1c11) — 10/31/2021 @ 3:18 pm

  36. Silly comparisons abound:

    “backs concealed carry, opposes SSM, transgender “rights”, late-term abortion, sanctuary cities, Obamacare and most everything the Democrats want. He praised Trump’s killing of Soleimani.

    But he thinks Donald Trump is a clear & present danger, so he’s not conservative? Phooey.”

    The Republican Congress did not take independent initiative to advance any of these positions as Trump did, so their late arrival to discovering support for them is generally worthless and their trashing of the man who made them possible shows how little they value those positions when their personal ones are threatened. There is not a principled man among them.

    nk takes a great many words to say that ‘nobody trusts a traitor’:

    “This is typical Trump. He had nothing to do with driving Kinzinger or Gonzalez out of office.”

    ‘the Strange New Disrespect for disloyal R’s that mysteriously appeared in the wake of Trump had NOTHING TO DO with Trump’, yeah, cope harder, seethelord.

    “The census did that. Illinois and Ohio each lost a district. The redrawing would have pitted them against Republican incumbents from an existing Republican district.”

    So they’re not actually more popular or well-liked than ‘default Rep politician X’ in Republican circles. Tell me, if you have a product that’s judged as worse than “Brand X” in traditional advertising, are you doing well?

    “No net win for the GOP, either way, and only a nasty primary in sight. Not being Trump, they decided to withdraw gracefully.”

    The saboteur slinking off to his paymasters mumbling about ‘avoiding conflict’ and ‘withdrawing gravefully.’

    “Abi, abi, abi, that’s all, folks!”

    Cartoon verbiage for a cartoon position.

    Darker Howgsworth (9524b1) — 11/2/2021 @ 7:35 am

  37. So they’re not actually more popular or well-liked than ‘default Rep politician X’ in Republican circles. Tell me, if you have a product that’s judged as worse than “Brand X” in traditional advertising, are you doing well?

    You’re correct. The GOP is the Trump party. Kinzinger is out of step with the base and shouldn’t. Bother running again.

    Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/2/2021 @ 7:49 am

  38. 34, at least the Luis Gutierrez/Chuy Garcia earmuff is dead in this most recent map. The IL Dems are deploying their state rep/ senator district imbalanced layer cake mapping strategy (usually an urban core community on the east with a barely 2 mile height extension several miles into farther western suburbs) into the Congressional district process.

    urbanleftbehind (c2e573) — 11/2/2021 @ 7:55 am


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