In 1998, while a student at Illinois State, Kinzinger ran for election as a county board member in McLean County. He won, defeating an incumbent, and at age 20 was one of the youngest county board members in McLean County history,[7][8] Kinzinger remained on the board until resigning in 2003.[9]
Kinzinger worked as an intern for then–U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald shortly after his graduation from Illinois State, as part of a program offered there.[10]
Kinzinger met Republican U.S. Representatives Mike Pence, Mark Kirk, and Peter Roskam in January 2009 to discuss a possible run for Congress.[16] He decided to run in Illinois's 11th congressional district, held by Democrat Debbie Halvorson. He started campaigning full-time in May 2009, when he returned home from his 3rd tour in Iraq. He was endorsed by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Kinzinger won the five-candidate Republican primary on February 2, 2010, with 64% of the vote.[17]
He was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times in the general election. Kinzinger defeated Halvorson 57–43% on November 2, 2010.[18]
During his first term, Kinzinger represented a district that stretched from the outer southern suburbs of Chicago to Bloomington/Normal.
After redistricting, Kinzinger's district was eliminated. Much of its eastern portion, including Kinzinger's home in Channahon, near Joliet, was merged with the Rockford-based 16th District, represented by fellow Republican Don Manzullo, a 67-year-old politician first elected in 1992. Before redistricting, Kinzinger had represented 31% of the newly apportioned district, while Manzullo had represented at least 44% of it. In the March Republican primary, Kinzinger defeated Manzullo, 56–44%.[19] In the general election, Kinzinger defeated Democrat Wanda Rohl, 62–38%.[20]
Then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor helped Kinzinger, who was a rising Republican star, topple Manzullo in the Illinois primary.[21]
Kinzinger was targeted by the Club for Growth in 2014.[22] In the Republican primary, he faced David Hale, a nurse and founder of the RockfordTea Party. Kinzinger won with 78% of the vote.[23][24]
In the general election, Kinzinger defeated Democratic nominee Randall Olsen with 71% of the vote.[25][26]
Kinzinger won the March 2016 Republican primary with 100% of the vote.[27] No candidates filed for the Democratic primary for his seat and no Democrat ran in the election; Kinzinger won the election with 99.9% of the vote.
Kinzinger announced publicly that he would not support GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump on August 3, 2016. "I'm an American before I'm a Republican," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, adding, "I'm a Republican because I believe that Republicanism is the best way to defend the United States of America... [Trump] throws all of these Republican principles on their head." Kinzinger noted, however, that he also would not support Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and was mulling other options.[28]
Kinzinger defeated Democratic challenger Sara Dady with 59.1% of the vote. After the 2018 midterm elections, which saw all the Republican congressmen representing the Chicago area defeated, he was left as the only Republican representing a significant part of northern Illinois in Congress.
Kinzinger sponsored the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2013. The legislation, which would make it easier for veterans with emergency medical technician training in the military to get civilian licenses to perform the same job outside of the military, passed the House of Representatives by a voice vote but was not voted upon by the Senate.[33]
On June 5, 2014, Kinzinger introduced a bill (H.R. 4801; 113th Congress) which would require the United States Secretary of Energy to prepare a report on the effects that thermal insulation has on both energy consumption and systems for providing potable water in federal buildings.[34][35] Kinzinger argued that "with the federal government being the single largest consumer of energy in the country, doing our best to maximize the potential savings from improved insulation systems is a commonsense step I think everybody can agree on."[35]
Kinzinger was ranked as the 40th most bipartisan member of the House during the 114th United States Congress (and the third most bipartisan member of the House from Illinois) in the Bipartisan Index created by The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy, which ranks members of Congress by their degree of bipartisanship (by measuring how often each member's bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party and each member co-sponsors bills by members of the opposite party).[37]
According to journalist Jeremy W. Peters, Kinzinger had an uneasy feeling on the day of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and asked his wife not to attend the joint session to officially certify the election. He also told his office staff not to come to work that day and took his .380 caliberRuger LCP to the Capitol and to the Rayburn House Office Building. Just after 2:18 p.m., Kinzinger received an email from the Capitol Police telling him to stay away from windows, close and lock doors, remain quiet, and silence all electronics. At this point Kinzinger barricaded the doors of his office and took out his gun.[53]
On July 1, 2021, Kinzinger voiced disdain about sanctions threatened by Republican leadership against Republican lawmakers who would participate in a House committee to investigate the Capitol attack.[60][61] On July 25, he accepted Speaker Pelosi's appointment of him to the House Committee on the Jan. 6 Attack.[62][63][64]
During a September 5, 2021, interview on CNN's State of the Union, Kinzinger said his party "desperately needs to tell the truth", that if the party pushes lies and conspiracy theories, it does not deserve to win Congressional majorities in the 2022 elections, that if they were "going to be in charge and pushing conspiracy, pushing division, and pushing lies, then the Republican Party should not have the majority", and that it "is a pretty scary place to go in this world if we start using our power as a way to get the outcome that we want" in elections.[65]
On October 29, 2021, Kinzinger announced that he would not seek reelection to Congress in 2022, after redistricting placed him and another Republican incumbent, Darin LaHood, in the same district.[66][67][68] The redrawn district was geographically more his district than LaHood's, but Kinzinger opted to retire.
On November 5, 2021, Kinzinger was one of 13 House Republicans to break with their party and vote with a majority of Democrats for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.[69]
After leaving Congress, Kinzinger joined CNN as a senior political commentator on January 4, 2023.[70]
Investigation into the January 6 attack on the Capitol
On July 1, 2021, Kinzinger voiced disdain about sanctions threatened by Republican leadership against Republican lawmakers who would participate in a House committee to investigate the Capitol attack.[60][61] After McCarthy rescinded his recommendations, Pelosi announced on July 25 that she had appointed Kinzinger to the committee.[71][72] Kinzinger was one of the ten House Republicans who voted for Trump's second impeachment.[73] As a member of the committee investigating the January 6 attack and related issues, Kinzinger oversaw its fifth public hearing on June 23, 2022, serving as the lead questioner of witnesses. The hearing featured testimony from former Department of Justice officials describing how Trump tried to enlist them in his fight to overturn the 2020 presidential election.[74] Kinzinger also co-led the eighth hearing with Representative Elaine Luria.
Censure by Republican National Committee
On February 4, 2022, the Republican National Committee called the events of January 6, 2021, a "legitimate political discourse" and overwhelmingly voted by voice vote to censure Kinzinger, along with Representative Liz Cheney, for taking part in the House investigation of the Capitol assault.[75]
Farewell address
In his farewell address to Congress on December 15, 2022, Kinzinger warned his colleagues of the influence of conspiracy theories and falsehoods on politics, as well as threats to democracy in America and rising authoritarianism and factionalism. He criticized the Republican Party, saying:
Where Republicans once believed that limited government meant lower taxes and more autonomy, today limited government means inciting violence against government officials.
Following the tragic Oklahoma City bombing, former President George H. W. Bush publicly refuted those who used fear to gain support. In stark contrast, our leaders today belittle, and in some cases justify, attacks on the U.S. Capitol as "legitimate political discourse". The once great party of Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan has turned its back on the ideals of liberty and self-governance. Instead, it has embraced lies and deceit.
The Republican Party used to believe in a big tent, which welcomed the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Now we shelter the ignorant, the racists, who only stoke anger and hatred to those that are different than us.
Our constituents voted us in based on our beliefs, but we cannot use our faith as a sword and a shield while ignoring the fact we are all children of God, that we are all Americans.
To my Democratic colleagues, you too must bear the burden of our failures. Many of you have asked me, "Where are all the good Republicans?" Over the past two years, Democratic leadership had the opportunity to stand above the fray. Instead, they poured millions of dollars into the campaigns of MAGA Republicans, the same candidates President Biden called a national security threat, to ensure these good Republicans do not make it out of their respective primaries. This is no longer politics as usual; this is not a game. If you keep stoking the fire, you can't point the fingers when our great experiment goes up in flames.[68]
Kinzinger gained a 94% lifetime rating from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a business-oriented group, and a 49% lifetime rating from the Club for Growth, a conservative group, which advocates for tax cuts, lower spending, deregulation, and free trade.[86][87]
Although many House Republicans previously supported elements of the America COMPETES Act of 2022, Kinzinger was the only minority member to vote for the bill, after their House leadership urged a "No" vote, holding that the bill was too weak on China.[88]
On Twitter, Kinzinger praised Donald Trump's decision to have Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, Commander of the Quds Force and the third most powerful person in Iran, killed.[93] Reacting to news of the assassination, Kinzinger tweeted, "Mess with the bull, get the horns. If true, nice call, @realdonaldtrump."[94] He continued tweeting, writing, "killed a man responsible for thousands of deaths in #Syria and elsewhere, including Americans. Let's see how long the #blameAmerica left takes to make him a poor victim."[95]
Russia and Ukraine
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Kinzinger supported providing aid to Ukraine.[96] Until the end of his tenure, he was among the most vocal members of Congress on the topic on social media.[97] He is a member of NAFO, an online pro-Ukrainian movement dedicated to countering propaganda and disinformation.[98] His support stood in contrast to some Republicans who opposed the aid; when House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy declared the party would not "write a blank check" to Ukraine should they retake the House, Kinzinger accused him of "giving aid and comfort to the enemy, intentionally or unintentionally."[97][99]
As the Russian invasion proved less successful than had generally been expected, Kinzinger argued additional U.S. support had become a more practical investment. He also rebutted claims that supplying aid would escalate the conflict, comparing that argument to "a husband saying, 'If you leave me, I'll hit you harder and so you can't go.' We should stop self-deterring like this because all the evidence points to the Russians not being able to do much about anything."[98]
Kinzinger's official Congressional photos from 2015 (left) and 2017 (right)
Abortion
Kinzinger opposed late-term abortion and the use of federal funds for abortion or health coverage that funds abortion.[84]
Kinzinger was one of three Republicans to vote for H.R. 8297: Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022.[106]
Kinzinger voted for H.R. 8373: The Right to Contraception Act. This bill was designed to protect access to contraceptives and health care providers' ability to provide contraceptives and information related to contraception.[107] The bill would also fund Planned Parenthood.[108]
Cannabis
Kinzinger was given a "C−" rating from NORML for his voting history regarding cannabis-related causes. He supported veterans having access to medical marijuana if recommended by their Veterans Health Administration doctor if medical marijuana is legal in their states of residence. He opposed a bill to remove marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act.[109][110]
Support for LGBTQ rights
As of 2022, Kinzinger gained a 59% rating from the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ rights advocacy group.[111]
In 2015, Kinzinger was one of 60 Republicans voting to uphold President Barack Obama's 2014 executive order banning federal contractors from making hiring decisions that discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.[citation needed]
In 2016, Kinzinger was one of 43 Republicans to vote for the Maloney Amendment to H.R. 5055, intended to prohibit the use of funds for government contractors who discriminate against LGBT employees.[112]
In 2019 and 2021, Kinzinger voted against the Equality Act.[113][114] Nonetheless, he affirmed his support for the LGBT community and commitment to finding a suitable compromise that also protects religious liberty after his 2021 "no" vote.[115]
On February 24, 2021, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene hung a sign outside of her office reading "There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE 'Trust The Science!'" in response to Representative Marie Newman, whose office is directly across from hers and who put a transgender flag outside her office in support of the Equality Act. Kinzinger quote-tweeted Greene and said, "This is sad and I'm sorry this happened. Rep. Newmans [sic] daughter is transgender, and this video and tweet represents the hate and fame driven politics of self-promotion at all evil costs. This garbage must end, in order to #RestoreOurGOP".[116] In an interview with Rolling Stone later that year, Kinzinger lambasted Tucker Carlson for mocking Pete Buttigieg's homosexuality after he took paternity leave, affirming that Buttigieg remained more competent than necessary as the Secretary of Transportation and calling Carlson's remark a "cheap shot" designed to keep his audience interested.[117]
In 2021, Kinzinger was one of 21 House Republicans to sponsor the Fairness for All Act, the Republican alternative to the Equality Act.[118] The bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and protect the free exercise of religion.
In 2022, Kinzinger was one of six Republicans to vote in favor of the Global Respect Act, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violations of internationally recognized human rights against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) individuals, and for other purposes.[119][120]
On July 19, 2022, Kinzinger and 46 other Republican representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.[121] Kinzinger was absent from the vote on its final passage on December 8, 2022,[122] but reportedly still intended to vote yes.[123]
Criticism of Donald Trump
Kinzinger voted in line with President Donald Trump about 90% of the time[8] and voted against Trump's first impeachment (though he later admitted to regretting this vote),[8][124] but he subsequently became one of Trump's biggest critics and made headlines as a rare Republican officeholder willing to criticize him.[125][126] In summer 2020, Kinzinger denounced QAnon and other baseless conspiracy theories that gained currency among Republican voters.[8] After the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost to Joe Biden, Kinzinger denounced Trump's claims that the election was stolen and criticized Trump's attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.[8] In December 2020, after Trump repeated his claims of fraud on Twitter, Kinzinger tweeted that it was time for Trump to delete his Twitter account.[8][127] He also criticized the Texas Republican Party and called for the firing of its chairman, Allen West, when the party floated the idea of secession, after the Supreme Court rejected Texas v. Pennsylvania, a bid by the state of Texas to overturn the presidential election outcome.[128]
On January 7, 2021, the day after the storming of the U.S. Capitol by a violent pro-Trump mob, Kinzinger became the first Republican member of the House to call for Trump's removal from office via the 25th Amendment.[129][130] In a video message, he said that Trump had "abdicated his duty to protect the American people and the people's house" and that Trump's behavior made clear that he had become "unmoored" from both his duties as president and "reality itself". Kinzinger urged Vice PresidentMike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, saying that Trump was "unfit" and "unwell".[131] Five days later, he announced that he would vote in favor of Trump's second impeachment, saying there was "no doubt" that Trump "broke his oath of office and incited this insurrection." Kinzinger also accused Trump of using the power of his office to launch a direct attack on Congress. He asked, "If these actions – the Article II branch inciting a deadly insurrection against the Article I branch – are not worthy of impeachment, then what is an impeachable offense?"[132] On January 13, he joined nine other Republicans in voting for impeachment.[8][133][134] In response, some Republicans vowed to support a primary challenge to Kinzinger.[8] Kinzinger received a letter from 11 members of his family asserting he had joined "the devil's army" for publicly turning against Trump. Kinzinger said the family members suffer from "brainwashing" from conservative churches that led them astray.[135]
On May 19, 2021, Kinzinger was one of 35 Republicans to join all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the formation of a January 6 commission to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.[136] He was also one of two Republicans to join all Democrats in voting for a January 6 House select committee, along with Liz Cheney.[137] Kinzinger's involvement with the January 6 proceedings resulted in his staff receiving threats against his family and colleagues.[138] On October 21, 2021, Kinzinger was one of nine House Republicans to vote to hold Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the January 6 Committee.[139]
In a November 14, 2021, interview with Rolling Stone, Kinzinger said he regretted voting against Trump's first impeachment: "If I went back in time, I would vote for the first impeachment." In the interview, he also called Tucker Carlson a "manipulative son of a bitch".[140]
Kinzinger and Elaine Luria were selected to lead the questioning in the eighth televised hearing of the January 6 Committee, on July 21, 2022.
On August 16, 2022, during an interview on MSNBC, Kinzinger claimed that some people have equated Trump with Jesus Christ, saying, "And you have people today that, literally, I think in their heart – they may not say it, but they equate Donald Trump with the person of Jesus Christ." He added, "And to them, if you even come out against this 'amazing man Donald Trump,' which, obviously quite flawed, you are coming out against Jesus, against their Christian values".[141][142]
In February 2023, it was announced that Kinzinger was scheduled to release a book for Penguin Random House called Renegade: My Life in Faith, the Military, and Defending America from Trump's Attack on Democracy in October 2023.[143]
In August 2024, Kinzinger addressed the Democratic National Convention, denouncing the Republican Party as "no longer conservative" and proclaiming his support for Kamala Harris's presidential campaign. He also described Trump as "a weak man pretending to be strong. He is a small man pretending to be big. He is a faithless man pretending to be righteous. He's a perpetrator who can't stop playing the victim."[144][145][146]
In March 2023, individuals wearing straitjackets were seen walking through the United States Capitol building. They were part of Country First's campaign against political extremism, entitled "Break Free".[155][156]
The Wisconsin Red Cross named Kinzinger its 2006 "Hero of the Year" for wrestling a knife-wielding man to the ground and disarming him. The man had cut the throat of a woman on a street in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[169] Recalling the event in an interview, Kinzinger said, "The whole time it was, to me, kind of a done deal that I was going to get stabbed in the process, but I knew that this wasn't something I could wake up to ... every day with that memory that I watched her die."[170] The woman survived. For this act Kinzinger also received the United States Air Force Airman's Medal and the National Guard's Valley Forge Cross for Heroism.[171]
Kinzinger was ranked 5th on The Hill's 2011 annual "50 Most Beautiful People" list, which ranks anyone who regularly works on Capitol Hill.[172]
Kinzinger was engaged to Air Force Captain Riki Meyers, a fellow pilot, in 2011; they broke their engagement in 2012.[173][174] Kinzinger became engaged to Sofia Boza-Holman, a former aide to John Boehner and aide to Vice President Mike Pence, in June 2019.[175] They married on February 16, 2020.[176] Their son, Christian Adam Kinzinger, was born in January 2022. According to his book, they have relocated from Illinois to Houston, Texas.[177]
Books
Kinzinger, Adam; D'Antonio, Michael (2023). Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country. New York City: The Open Field/Penguin Life. ISBN9780593654163. OCLC1388322897.
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