Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger announces he will not seek reelection
WASHINGTON – Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican and fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, announced Friday he would not seek reelection.
Kinzinger, 43, who was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump in January, posted a video on Twitter announcing his decision.
Kinzinger, who entered the House in 2011, explained that when he took office he said "if I ever thought it was time to move on from Congress, I would." He added: "And that time is now."
"My disappointment in the leaders that don't lead is huge," he continued. "The battlefield must be broader and the truth needs to reach the American people across the whole country."
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He has openly criticized members of his party for downplaying the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. That day, a mob of Trump's supporters breached the building and tried to stop the certification of Joe Biden's election as president. The attack left five people dead and sent lawmakers fleeing for their safety.
Kinzinger and fellow Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming were the only two Republicans who voted to create the Jan. 6 House committee tasked with investigating the events of Jan. 6. They are also the only two Republicans to sit on the panel.
"I stand in awe at the courage of the other nine members in the House who voted to impeach a president of their own party knowing it could be detrimental to their political career," Kinzinger said in the video.
Kinzinger railed against division in Congress in his video, saying it's "allowed leaders to reach power selling the false premise that strength comes from degrading others."
"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," he said. "In order to break the narrative, I cannot focus on both a reelection to Congress and a broader fight nationwide."
Kinzinger raised $562,356 in the last filing period for a total of $2,595,281 in the election cycle. He originally faced Catalina Lauf, a former Department of Commerce adviser under Trump, for the seat in northern Illinois. Lauf raised $453,209 for the same filing period and has raised $809,653 in the election cycle.
Shortly before Kinzinger's announcement, the Democratic Illinois legislature proposed new congressional redistricting maps that grouped Kinzinger in the same district as incumbent GOP Rep. Darin LaHood.
Kinzinger served in the Air Force in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and served in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
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Kinzinger becomes the second House Republican who voted to impeach Trump to announce they won't seek reelection. Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez announced in September he will not seek his seat next fall. He said the current state of politics and the “toxic dynamics” of the Republican Party played a factor in his decision.
Trump released a short statement on Kinzinger bowing out of his race, saying, "2 down, 8 to go!"
"The pricetag to power has skyrocketed," Kinzniger said, slamming the political parties. "Fear and distrust has served as an effective strategy to meet that cost."
Kinzinger applauded the Americans that "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."
Contributing: Associated Press