GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger, A Vocal Critic Of Donald Trump, Won't Run For Re-Election; Hints At Bid For Higher Office
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Six-term Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger announced Friday he won't run for re-election in 2022, but hinted at a run for higher office in the future.
"I want to make it clear, this isn't the end of my pollical future, but the beginning," Kinzinger, a Republican from Channahon, said in a video posted on his Twitter feed.
The announcement comes just hours after the Illinois General Assembly approved new congressional district maps that put Kinzinger in the same district as fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood. In April, Kizninger told the Sun-Times he would consider running for U.S. Senate or Illinois governor in 2022 if Democrats carved up his district.
He made no mention of any specific plans to run for another office in his announcement Friday morning.
Kinzinger, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump last year, lamented the increasing partisan divide in the U.S., and decried politicians from both parties appealing only to the most extreme elements to get elected.
"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 re-election to Congress and a broader fight nationwide," he said.
Should Kinzinger decide to run for either Illinois governor or U.S. Senate, he would face an uphill battle against a well-funded incumbent in an increasingly blue state.
Gov. JB Pritzker has announced he's running for re-election in 2022, and the billionaire gave his own campaign fund $35 million in March. As of the end of September, his campaign fund had $24,665,542.51 cash on hand, according to campaign finance reports.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth also is running for re-election in 2022, and according to her campaign's most recent quarterly report, she had $5,772,756.70 on hand at the end of September.
In its most recently quarterly report, Kinzinger's campaign reported having $3,351,167.11 on hand at the end of September.
