The anti-Trump Republican throws in the towel….
He has been redistricted into a district with pro-Trump incumbent that would dash any chance of him wining a Republican primary there….
Republicans have picked off two of their party who had voted to impeach Donald Trump….
Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, one of the most prominent critics of former President Donald Trump in the House Republican Conference, announced Friday he won’t seek reelection next year.
Kinzinger, one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach the then-president in January after the riot at the Capitol, is the second member of that group to say he will retire from Congress, joining Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio.
Early Friday morning, Illinois’ state Legislature passed a congressional map that drew Kinzinger into the same district with another GOP incumbent, Rep. Darin LaHood, setting up a would-be primary matchup between Kinzinger and LaHood, a more reliable Trump ally in the House….
He would’ve lost a primary to LaHood anyway.
Yup….
We’re glad to hear from ya Scott….
lahood voted for Biden in 2020. I think Kinzinger might have won that race.
He did? I’m unaware of that. I know he voted to certify Biden as the winner in Jan. 2021.
I think, James, that you might be confusing Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill., elected Sept. 2015), with his father Rep. Ray LaHood (also R-Ill. from the same downsstat 18th district, 1995-2009), a former Speaker pro tem (notably during Clinton’s impeachment) and later Transportation Secretary under President Barack Obama (D-Ill.)
It’s easy to see Ray LaHood backing Biden over Trump, since Wikipedia says he supported John McCain but couldn’t stand Sarah Palin’s rabble rousing.
Wikipedia also says: “In August 2007, LaHood received a 0% rating from the fiscally conservative 501(c)4 organization Club for Growth 2007 RePORK Card.[13] He received an 11% rating from the conservative lobbying group Citizens Against Government Waste in August 2007, and holds a lifetime 49% rating from the group.[14]”
His son —of whose existence I first learned today— however, gets (according to the 2020 Almanac of American Politics) high ratings from all the conservative or pro-business groups and very low ones from the liberal and progressive ones.
Although (again according to the Almanac) the 18th District covers much of Abraham Lincoln’s (Whig) old district, it hardly surprises me, given what the GOP has become, that a never-Trump (serving on the witch-hunt Jan. 6th committee) would have difficulty unseating the junior LaHood.
If only CG were around today to elucidate and/or adumbrate further. The closest we could get now, I guess, is Scott and Zreebs.
Ok DSD….
My Bad….
I withdrew the comment…..
Don’t worry, James, I too would have assumed that the currently-serving Rep. LaHood (R-Ill.) was Ray LaHood
Thanks for the correction…
https://www.wcbu.org/peoria-public-radio-news/2020-08-24/ray-lahood-confirms-endorsement-of-biden
Sorry. My mistake. Ray Lahood endorsed Biden.
Kinzinger might become the anti Trump Republican voice on CNN or MSNBC.Usually, they use political strategists or radio talk show hosts for that role.
As a former Congressman,who literally fought in the “Trump Wars,” Kinzinger would be a more prominent spokesman.
More people on the set, eh?
Surely it would be a salary increase
What I need expert on-the-ground interpretation is: why are the Illinois Democrats screwing Adam Kinzinger? Do they need some of his people (or LaHood’s people) to give a better chance for a Congressional seat to a neighboring Democratic incumbent or challenger? Or do they need to expand a district (why not Kinzinger’s?) since Illinois has lost a House seat after the Census of 2020?
Kinzinger’s district is a rural district that literally encircles the Democratic Chicago suburbs. Unlike the population of Chicago, the rural districts in Illinois lost population so most of the Illinois rural districts will therefore become larger with redistricting. I don’t think the Democrats were picking on Kinzinger, he was bound to be put in a more challenging district. Last I heard, the Illinois Congressional districts were not fully approved yet.
Thanks Z….
Z?
Dave Wassermann on Kinzamger and Dem’s
Kinzinger had zero path in a GOP primary, which is why Dems had no reservations about axing his seat.
(CNN) New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on Tuesday said he would not run against Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in 2022, dealing a significant blow to Republicans who hoped the seat would be a top target in the critical midterm elections.
Sununu, who said he was running for a fourth term as governor, offered a wholesale criticism of the US Senate in his announcement, deriding the legislative body as slow and largely ineffective, contrasting that with the “expectations,” “accountability,” and “successes” demanded of governors.
“I’d rather push myself 120 miles an hour delivering wins for New Hampshire than to slow down, end up on Capitol Hill debating partisan politics without results. That’s why I am going to run for a fourth term,” Sununu said…
By Dan Merica and Eric Bradner, CNN
Updated 10:35 AM ET, Tue November 9, 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/09/politics/chris-sununu-new-hampshire-senate/index.htm
Fallout from Sununu
Sununu Didn’t Give GOP Leaders a Heads Up
November 9, 2021 at 11:21 am EST By Taegan Goddard 71 Comments
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) told Politico that he did not give Senate Minority Leader Mith McConnell (R-KY) or Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) a heads up on his decision not to run for U.S. Senate.
Said Sununu: “I guess you’ll have to let them know. I haven’t talked to them.”
Pwire
Based on that curt remark?
It would appear that Sununu purposefully didn’t communicate with the Republican leadership.
Yup Jack….
He’s one of them guys that is freelancing their
Party
Seems like Chris Christie is another
Added to the wannabe 2024 contenders?
List growing
Not shrinking, eh?
Sununu ,in the past ,has been critical of Trump, particularly as regards the insurrection.
Apparently, he’s seen the abject servility displayed by the Republicans in the Senate toward Trump and decided he didn’t care to be part of it.
Gov. Sununu also has far better chances of winning re-election than of unseating a sitting U.S. Senator.
Many folks around New England think he (like other Northeastern governors of both parties) did a good job handling the pandemic, while only a limited number of NH voters want to increase the GOP Senate caucus so long as it is led by Mitch McConnell and limited by Donald Trump.
Better to do something in New Hampshire than to join an ineffective minority of the No-No-No-to-Biden caucus of Mitch McConnell.
Senate Republicans harboring visions of securing a majority in next year’s midterms suffered a blow Tuesday when perhaps their most valuable potential recruit, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), said he would not challenge Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).
But a year before Election Day, both Republicans and Democrats have reason to cling to optimism — and harbor deep doubts — about their chances of claiming control of the U.S. Senate. The GOP path to a majority will not be smooth, the Democratic bulwarks are not fully fortified and a challenging year lies ahead for both parties….
More…