Illinois Valley Times

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Rockford) will not run for reelection after Democratic lawmakers merged his Congressional district with that of fellow Republican Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria).

Kinzinger became unpopular with his party after he was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump after the Jan. 6 riots.

He was also one of two Republicans on the Jan. 6 Congressional investigation panel.

Kinzinger is currently serving his sixth term in the House. His first term started in 2011.

Illinois' declining population cost the state a seat in the House. It had been expected that the Democratic lawmakers charged with redistricting would eliminate a Republican-held district.

Prior to the redistricting, Kinzinger faced primary opposition from fellow Republicans Catalina Lauf and Jack Lombardi. Both bashed him for supporting Trump's impeachment.

Lombardi had called on Kinzinger to switch parties earlier this year.

It is unclear if those candidates will now pursue campaigns against LaHood who has served in the 18th District since 2015.

Shortly after Kinzinger posted he would not run for reelection, LaHood announced his reelection campaign in the newly created district.

In his announcement Kinzinger promoted Country First, a political action committee he launched in the aftermath of the Capitol riot.

The political action committee was formed out of a previous PAC controlled by Kinzinger.

It backed anti-Trump Republican Michael Wood in a special election in Texas’ 5th Congressional district. Wood received a scant 3.2% in a crowded primary.

Kinzinger was also involved in a minor scandal involving a Russian beauty queen on which he refused to publicly comment.  

See the full transcript of Kinzinger’s announcement released on social media below:

In 2009 I returned from Iraq and made a decision that ran in the face of all odds and insanity. I would challenge and incumbent in a seemingly unwinnable race for Congress. At that time I was spurred to run by my conviction of our role in the world. Somehow I won and I’ll never forget that campaign.

The excitement of election night and a new majority and those supporters who reminded me to be my own man and to never ‘do what they they tell you to do but to do what is right.’ I stand tall and pat knowing that I have done just that. I also remember during that campaign saying if I ever thought it was time to move on from Congress I would and that time is now. But let me be clear, my passion for this country has only grown. My desire to make a difference is bigger than it's ever been. My disappointment in the leaders that don’t lead is huge. The battlefield must be broader and the truth needs to reach the American people across the whole country. This country is in an incredibly perilous time. I’ve always been optimistic. Using history as our story to show how we would overcome any obstacle. In bad moments someone has always arisen to lead. Government for, of and by the people always prevails.

At this moment that government is the problem and few have risen to do anything about it. Because in this day to prevail or survive you must belong to a tribe.

Our political parties only survive by appealing to the most motivated and the most extreme elements within it.  

And the price tag to power has skyrocketed. And fear and distrust have served as an effective strategy to meet that cost. After all, if a man is convinced that his very survival is at stake he'll part with anything, including money, to ensure he does survive. De-humanizing each other has become the norm. We’ve taken it from social media to the streets.

We’ve allowed leaders to reach power selling the false premise that strength comes from degrading others and dehumanizing those that look, act or think differently than we do. As a country we’ve fallen for those lies and now we face a poisoned country filled with outrage blinding our ability to achieve real strength. It has become increasingly obvious to me that as a country we must unplug from the mistruths we’ve been fed. In Congress, I’ve witnessed how division is heavily rooted.

There is 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. I want to make it clear this isn’t the end of my political future but the beginning. Serving six terms in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime. Yet it flew by in a flash. I went in as a single man, met the best woman ever and now we are excited to welcome a baby boy in January.

I’ve met amazing people and made fantastic friends that will last a lifetime. 

I stand in awe at the courage of the other nine members of the House who voted to impeach a president of their own party knowing it could be detrimental to their political career. Most importantly though I admire those everywhere that put their country above their party in service to their fellow man. As a country we need to remember who we really are, what we’ve achieved in our darker days and what we’ve always fought for in a brighter future. I know I am not alone. There are many Americans desperately searching for a better way. They want solutions, not more problems. They want action, not extremism. They want light, not darkness. And the sooner we do it the better it will be for the land that we love. Now is the time for choosing. Now is the time to work together to be part of the solution.

Now is the time to join our movement at Country First. Together we can do this. America is a land created by those seeking a better tomorrow. We must embrace this American foundation as we reclaim our country from the dividers, the corrupt and the cynical. We need this. Our children deserve this. Now is the time to put country first.