Adam Kinzinger | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Debbie Halvorson |
| Succeeded by | Darin LaHood (redistricted) |
| Constituency | 11th district (2011–2013) 16th district (2013–2023) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Adam Daniel Kinzinger (1978-02-27)February 27, 1978 (age 47) Kankakee, Illinois, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Illinois State University (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 2003–2023 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | Wisconsin Air National Guard |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Air Medal (6) |
Kinzinger on legislation sanctioningTurkey for the2019 offensive into northern Syria Recorded October 29, 2019 | |
Adam Daniel Kinzinger[1] (/ˈkɪnzɪŋər/; born February 27, 1978) is an American politician, political commentator, and formerUnited States Air Force andAir National Guard officer. A member of theRepublican Party, he served as aU.S. representative fromIllinois from 2011 to 2023; representingIllinois's 11th congressional district and laterIllinois's 16th congressional district.
Kinzinger was first elected to Congress in 2010 from the11th district. His district was largely merged with the 16th after the2010 census, and Kinzinger transferred to the 16th after defeating incumbent,Don Manzullo, in the Republican primary. After PresidentDonald Trump lost the2020 presidential election, Kinzinger became known for his vocal opposition to Trump's claims of voter fraud andattempts to overturn the results.
Kinzinger did not seek reelection to Congress in 2022. After leaving office, he joinedCNN as a senior political commentator.
Kinzinger was born on February 27, 1978, inKankakee, Illinois, the son of Betty Jo, an elementary school teacher, and Rus Kinzinger, a CEO of religious faith–based organizations.[2][3][4] After spending part of his youth inJacksonville, Florida, he was primarily raised inBloomington, Illinois. He graduated fromNormal Community West High School in 1996[5] and earned a bachelor's degree inpolitical science fromIllinois State University in 2000.[6]
In 1998, while a student at Illinois State, Kinzinger ran for election as a county board member inMcLean 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. SenatorPeter Fitzgerald shortly after his graduation from Illinois State, as part of a program offered there.[10]
Kinzinger resigned from the McLean County Board in 2003 to join theUnited States Air Force. He was commissioned asecond lieutenant in November 2003 and later awarded hispilot wings. Kinzinger was initially aKC-135 Stratotanker pilot and flew missions inSouth America,Guam,Iraq andAfghanistan. He later switched to flying theRC-26surveillance aircraft and was stationed in Iraq twice.[11] During his service in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, Kinzinger earned theAir Medal six times.[12]
Kinzinger has served in theAir Force Special Operations Command,Air Combat Command,Air Mobility Command, andWisconsin Air National Guard and was progressively promoted to the rank ofLieutenant Colonel.[13] As part of his continued service with the Air National Guard, Kinzinger was deployed to theMexico–United States border in February 2019 as part of efforts to maintain border security.[14] Kinzinger retired from the Air National Guard after 20 years of service.[15]
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Kinzinger met Republican U.S. RepresentativesMike Pence,Mark Kirk, andPeter Roskam in January 2009 to discuss a possible run for Congress.[16] He decided to run inIllinois's 11th congressional district, held by DemocratDebbie 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 GovernorSarah Palin. Kinzinger won the five-candidate Republican primary on February 2, 2010, with 64% of the vote.[17]
He was endorsed by theChicago Tribune and theChicago 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 toBloomington/Normal.
After redistricting, Kinzinger's district was eliminated. Much of its eastern portion, including Kinzinger's home inChannahon, nearJoliet, was merged with theRockford-based16th District, represented by fellow RepublicanDon 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 LeaderEric Cantor helped Kinzinger, who was a rising Republican star, topple Manzullo in the Illinois primary.[21]
Kinzinger was targeted by theClub for Growth in 2014.[22] In the Republican primary, he faced David Hale, a nurse and founder of theRockfordTea 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 nomineeDonald Trump on August 3, 2016. "I'm an American before I'm a Republican," he toldCNN'sWolf 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 nomineeHillary Clinton, and was mulling other options.[28]
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Kinzinger introduced the U.S. House version of thebipartisan billCountering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act.[29] TheUnited States Senate version was written in March 2016 by SenatorsChris Murphy andRob Portman.[30] After the2016 U.S. presidential election, worries grew thatRussian propaganda spread and organized by theRussian government swayed the outcome of the election, and members of Congress took action to safeguard thenational security of the United States by advancing legislation to monitor incoming propaganda from external threats.[30][31] On November 30, 2016, legislators approved a measure within theNational Defense Authorization Act to ask theU.S. State Department to take action against foreign propaganda through an interagency panel.[30][31] The legislation authorized funding of $160 million over a two-year period.[30] The initiative was developed through the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act.[30]
Kinzinger defeated Democratic challenger Sara Dady with 59.1% of the vote. After the2018 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 defeated Democrat Dani Brzozowski in the 2020 election with 65% of the vote.
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In 2010, Kinzinger signed a pledge sponsored byAmericans for Prosperity promising to vote against anyglobal warming legislation that would raise taxes.[32]
Kinzinger sponsored theVeteran 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 avoice vote but was not voted upon by the Senate.[33]
On June 5, 2014, Kinzinger introduced abill (H.R. 4801; 113th Congress) which would require theUnited States Secretary of Energy to prepare a report on the effects thatthermal insulation has on both energy consumption and systems for providingpotable water infederal 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 a member of both theRepublican Study Committee and theRepublican Main Street Partnership.[36]
Kinzinger was ranked as the 40th most bipartisan member of the House during the114th United States Congress (and the third most bipartisan member of the House from Illinois) in the Bipartisan Index created byThe Lugar Center and theMcCourt 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]
Kinzinger voted for the2017 Republican healthcare legislation, which would have repealed major parts of theAffordable Care Act (Obamacare).[38]
Kinzinger voted for theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[39][40]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Kinzinger was accused of stoking racial hatred by anAsian American op-ed writer[41] for blamingChina for the pandemic at a time that anti-Asian hate crimes andcoronavirus-related discrimination were rising.[42][43][44][45] Kinzinger authored and retweeted many tweets singling out China for blame.[46][47][48][49][50][51] One such tweet was "Daily reminder: You are in your homes because #Chinahidthevirus."[52]
According to journalistJeremy 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 theRayburn House Office Building. Just after 2:18 p.m., Kinzinger received an email from theCapitol 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 February 4, 2021, Kinzinger joined 10 other Republican House members voting with all voting Democrats to stripMarjorie Taylor Greene of herHouse Education and Labor Committee andHouse Budget Committee assignments in response to controversial political statements she had made.[54]
In March 2021, Kinzinger was one of eight Republicans to join the House majority in passing theBipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021.[55]
On April 9, 2021, Kinzinger called forMatt Gaetz to resign while he was being investigated on sex trafficking charges.[56][57]
On May 19, 2021, Kinzinger and 34 other Republican House members in the 117th Congress voted to create aNational Commission to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol Complex, intended to probe theU.S. Capitol attack. They joined all 217 Democrats present to vote to establish such a body.[58][59] After the Senate failed to support the national bipartisan commission due to a Republican filibuster, Kinzinger remained committed to the concept.
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 SpeakerPelosi's appointment of him to theHouse Committee on the Jan. 6 Attack.[62][63][64]
During a September 5, 2021, interview onCNN'sState 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 theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.[69]
After leaving Congress, Kinzinger joinedCNN as a senior political commentator on January 4, 2023.[70]
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 forTrump's second impeachment.[73] As a member of the committee investigating the January 6 attack and related issues, Kinzinger oversaw its fifthpublic 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 tooverturn the 2020 presidential election.[74] Kinzinger also co-led the eighth hearing with RepresentativeElaine Luria.
On February 4, 2022, theRepublican National Committee called the events of January 6, 2021, a "legitimate political discourse" and overwhelmingly voted byvoice vote tocensure Kinzinger, along with RepresentativeLiz Cheney, for taking part in the House investigation of the Capitol assault.[75]
In his farewell address to Congress on December 15, 2022, Kinzinger warned his colleagues of the influence ofconspiracy theories and falsehoods on politics, as well as threats to democracy in America and risingauthoritarianism andfactionalism. He criticized theRepublican 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.
Kinzinger also criticizedDemocrats:
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]
As a lawmaker, Kinzinger was in favor of allowingconcealed carry of firearms across state lines where concealed carry is legal.[85]
On March 11, 2021, Kinzinger was one of eight Republican representatives who voted to pass theBipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021.
On May 29, 2022, Kinzinger announced that he was "open to" an assault weapons ban following the2022 Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 22 people.[86]
In 2017, Kinzinger voted to repeal theAffordable Care Act (Obamacare).[85]
Kinzinger opposed theDodd–Frank Act.[85]
Kinzinger gained a 94% lifetime rating from theU.S. Chamber of Commerce, a business-oriented group, and a 49% lifetime rating from theClub for Growth, a conservative group, which advocates for tax cuts, lower spending, deregulation, and free trade.[87][88]
Although many House Republicans previously supported elements of theAmerica 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.[89]
Kinzinger supported penalizingsanctuary cities.[85]
Kinzinger supportedDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).[90]
Kinzinger voted for theFurther Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 which authorizesDHS to nearly double the availableH-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.[91][92]
Kinzinger voted for theConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1158), which effectively prohibitsICE from cooperating withHealth and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of unaccompanied alien children (UACs).[93]
On Twitter, Kinzinger praisedDonald Trump's decision to have Iranian Major GeneralQasem Soleimani, Commander of the Quds Force and the third most powerful person in Iran, killed.[94] Reacting to news of the assassination, Kinzinger tweeted, "Mess with the bull, get the horns. If true, nice call, @realdonaldtrump."[95] 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."[96]
Kinzinger also supported Trump's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities in June 2025.[97]
After theRussian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Kinzinger supported providingaid to Ukraine.[98] Until the end of his tenure, he was among the most vocal members of Congress on the topic on social media.[99] He is a member ofNAFO, an online pro-Ukrainian movement dedicated to counteringpropaganda and disinformation.[100] His support stood in contrast to some Republicans who opposed the aid; when House Minority LeaderKevin 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."[99][101]
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."[100]
Kinzinger consistently voted in favor of support to Ukraine, including theUkraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022,[102] H.R. 956 (supporting the people of Ukraine),[103] H.R. 7108 (suspending trade relations with Russia and Belarus),[104] and H.R. 7691 (renewing Ukrainian aid following the fiscal year).[105] In May, he introduced anAuthorization for Use of Military Force resolution to allow the United States Armed Forces to respond if Russia deploys biological, chemical, ornuclear weapons against Ukraine.[106] A month later, he sponsored a House bill to give training toUkrainian Air Force pilots on theF-15 Eagle andF-16 Fighting Falcon.[107]
Kinzinger opposedlate-term abortion and the use of federal funds for abortion or health coverage that funds abortion.[85]
Kinzinger was one of three Republicans to vote for H.R. 8297: Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022.[108]
Kinzinger voted for H.R. 8373: The Right to Contraception Act. This bill was designed to protect access to contraceptives and healthcare providers' ability to provide contraceptives and information related to contraception.[109] The bill would also fund Planned Parenthood.[110]
As of 2022, Kinzinger gained a 59% rating from theHuman 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 orgender 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 theEquality Act.[113][114] Nonetheless, he affirmed his support for theLGBT community and commitment to finding a suitable compromise that also protects religious liberty after his 2021 "no" vote.[115]
On February 24, 2021, RepresentativeMarjorie Taylor Greene hung a sign outside of her office reading "There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE 'Trust The Science!'" in response to RepresentativeMarie Newman, whose office was directly across from hers and who put atransgender 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 withRolling Stone later that year, Kinzinger lambastedTucker Carlson for mockingPete Buttigieg'shomosexuality after he took paternity leave, affirming that Buttigieg remained more competent than necessary as theSecretary 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 theRespect for Marriage Act, which protectssame-sex andinterracial marriage licenses 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] He subsequently criticized his fellow Republicans for "owning the libs" and opposing LGBT+ rights.[124]
Kinzinger voted in line with PresidentDonald Trump about 90% of the time[8] and voted againstTrump's first impeachment (though he later admitted to regretting this vote),[8][125] but he subsequently became one of Trump's biggest critics and made headlines as a rare Republican officeholder willing to criticize him.[126][127] In summer 2020, Kinzinger denouncedQAnon 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 criticizedTrump'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 deletehis Twitter account.[8][128] He also criticized theTexas Republican Party and called for the firing of its chairman,Allen West, when the party floated the idea ofsecession, after the Supreme Court rejectedTexas v. Pennsylvania, a bid by the state of Texas to overturn the presidential election outcome.[129]
On January 7, 2021, the day after thestorming 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 the25th Amendment.[130][131] 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 urgedVice PresidentMike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, saying that Trump was "unfit" and "unwell".[132] Five days later, he announced that he would vote in favor ofTrump'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?"[133] On January 13, he joined nine other Republicans in voting for impeachment.[8][134][135] In response, some Republicans vowed to support aprimary 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.[136]
On May 19, 2021, Kinzinger was one of 35 Republicans to join all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the formation of aJanuary 6 commission to investigate thestorming of the U.S. Capitol.[137] He was also one of two Republicans to join all Democrats in voting for aJanuary 6 House select committee, along withLiz Cheney.[138] Kinzinger's involvement with the January 6 proceedings resulted in his staff receiving threats against his family and colleagues.[139] On October 21, 2021, Kinzinger was one of nine House Republicans to vote to hold Trump allySteve Bannon incontempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the January 6 Committee.[140]
In a November 14, 2021, interview withRolling 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 calledTucker Carlson a "manipulative son of a bitch".[141]
Kinzinger andElaine 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 withJesus 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".[142][143]
In February 2023, it was announced that Kinzinger was scheduled to release a book for Penguin Random House calledRenegade: My Life in Faith, the Military, and Defending America from Trump's Attack on Democracy in October 2023.[144]
In August 2024, Kinzinger addressed theDemocratic National Convention, denouncing the Republican Party as "no longer conservative" and proclaiming his support forKamala 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."[145][146][147]
In Fall 2024, directorSteve Pink released the documentary filmThe Last Republican, which followed Kinzinger through his last term in office, and detailed his work on the January 6th Committee.[148]
In August 2024, Donald Trump referred to himself as a war hero. In response, Kinzinger responded by saying "To put himself on the same level of people that have actually gone out and served this country, not claimed bone spurs, is an offense to anybody who served."[149]
In early 2021, a few weeks after theJanuary 6 Capitol attack, Kinzinger launched the Country FirstPAC, as a means to reform theRepublican Party and distance itself fromfar-right conspiracies, includingQAnon.[150] In the first quarter of 2021, the PAC raised over $1.1 million to fightDonald Trump's growing influence over theRepublican Party.[151]
In the2022 midterm elections, Country First supported candidates running against2020 election deniers that were endorsed by Trump.[152] The PAC put a special focus on pro-democracy candidates running in secretary of state races, as who ever won these elections would have oversight of2024 presidential election administration.[153] Through Country First, Kinzinger endorsedDemocrats, Republicans, andindependents. The endorsements includedEvan McMullin,[152]Brad Raffensperger,[153]Katie Hobbs,Josh Shapiro, andLisa Murkowski.[154]
In the2023 special election to fill a vacancy in theWisconsin Senate, Country First ran negative advertisements to prevent the victory ofTrumpistJanel Brandtjen in the Republican primary,[155][156] which she ultimately did not win.[157]
In March 2023, individuals wearing straitjackets were seen walking through theUnited States Capitol building. They were part of Country First's campaign against political extremism, entitled "Break Free".[158][159]
Prior to the2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, Country First sent out an email asking donors to give toChris Christie'spresidential campaign to ensure the candidate's appearance on theprimary debate stage.[160] Country First itself also donated to Christie's campaign.[161] Kinzinger endorsed President Joe Biden for re-election before shifting his support to Biden's running mate and Vice PresidentKamala Harris followingBiden's withdrawal from the election.[162][163]
Kinzinger was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump forincitement of insurrection in hissecond impeachment. He also voted to create, and was subsequently appointed to serve on, theselect committee to investigate the2021 United States Capitol attack.
On 2022, during the January 6th panel, Kinzinger criticized 5 Republican lawmakers includingRep. Matt Gaetz,Rep. Scott Perry, saying: "The only reason I know to ask for a pardon is because you think you've committed a crime."[164]
On January 20, 2025,President Joe Biden announced a preemptive pardon for the January 6th Committee members including Kinzinger from potential future prosecution by the incomingTrump administration.[165]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger | 32,233 | 63.7 | |
| Republican | Dave White | 5,257 | 10.4 | |
| Republican | David McAloon | 4,880 | 9.6 | |
| Republican | Henry Meers Jr. | 4,555 | 9.0 | |
| Republican | Darrel Miller | 3,701 | 7.3 | |
| Total votes | 50,626 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger | 129,108 | 57.4 | |
| Democratic | Debbie Halvorson (incumbent) | 96,019 | 42.6 | |
| Total votes | 225,127 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger | 45,546 | 53.9 | |
| Republican | Don Manzullo (incumbent) | 38,889 | 46.1 | |
| Total votes | 84,435 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger | 181,789 | 61.8 | |
| Democratic | Wanda Rohl | 112,301 | 38.2 | |
| Total votes | 294,090 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger (incumbent) | 56,593 | 78.4 | |
| Republican | David J. Hale Jr. | 15,558 | 21.6 | |
| Total votes | 72,151 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger (incumbent) | 153,388 | 70.6 | |
| Democratic | Randall Olsen | 63,810 | 29.4 | |
| Total votes | 217,198 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger (incumbent) | 101,421 | 100 | |
| Republican | Colin M. McGroarty | 2 | nil | |
| Total votes | 101,423 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger (incumbent) | 259,722 | 100 | |
| Independent | John Burchardt (write-in) | 131 | nil | |
| Total votes | 259,853 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger (incumbent) | 151,254 | 59.1 | |
| Democratic | Sara Dady | 104,569 | 40.9 | |
| Independent | John M. Stassi (write-in) | 2 | nil | |
| Total votes | 255,825 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adam Kinzinger (incumbent) | 218,839 | 64.71 | +5.6% | |
| Democratic | Dani Brzozowski | 119,313 | 35.28 | −5.6% | |
| Write-in | 7 | 0.00 | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 338,159 | 100 | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
The WisconsinRed 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 downtownMilwaukee, Wisconsin.[174] 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."[175] The woman survived. For this act Kinzinger also received the United States Air ForceAirman's Medal and the National Guard's Valley Forge Cross for Heroism.[176]
Kinzinger was ranked 5th onThe Hill's 2011 annual "50 Most Beautiful People" list, which ranks anyone who regularly works on Capitol Hill.[177]
Kinzinger was engaged to Air Force Captain Riki Meyers, a fellow pilot, in 2011; they broke their engagement in 2012.[178][179] Kinzinger became engaged to Sofia Boza-Holman, a former aide toJohn Boehner and aide to Vice PresidentMike Pence, in June 2019.[180] They married on February 16, 2020.[181] Their son, Christian Adam Kinzinger, was born in January 2022. According to his book, they have relocated from Illinois toHouston, Texas.[182]
In October 2024, Kinzinger was involved in an incident at a shooting range inMissouri during an event with then US Senate CandidateLucas Kunce.[183] Kinzinger and Kunce both shot AR-15s at steel targets from a very close distance. While Kunce was shooting, a bullet fragment accidentally hit a TV reporter. Kinzinger and Kunce performed first aid on the reporter, who was then sent to the hospital with a minor wound to his arm.[184] The local sheriff's office determined the incident was an accident and no charges were filed.[185]
Kinzinger was criticized by gun safety experts including Steve Hendrick, who operates Shield Firearms Training inKansas City. Hendrick was not present at the event, but after reviewing photos he said that a range of 10 yards would have been too close to shoot steel with an AR-15.[186]
I retired from the Guard as well. I retired at 20 years.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 11th congressional district 2011–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 16th congressional district 2013–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chair of theTuesday Group 2013–2017 Served alongside:Erik Paulsen (2013–2015),Charlie Dent (2013–2017),Bob Dold (2015–2017) | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
| Other | |
