Adam Kinzinger

Adam Daniel Kinzinger (born February 27, 1978) is an American former politician, senior political commentator for CNN, and lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard.

Kinzinger was born on February 27, 1978, in Kankakee, Illinois, the son of Betty Jo, an elementary school teacher, and Rus Kinzinger, a CEO of faith-based organizations.

After spending part of his youth in Jacksonville, Florida, he was primarily raised in Bloomington, Illinois.

Much of its eastern portion, including Kinzinger's home in Channahon, near Joliet, was merged with the Rockford-based 16th District, represented by fellow Republican Don 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%.

In the general election, Kinzinger defeated Democrat Wanda Rohl, 62–38%.

Eric Cantor helped Kinzinger, who was a rising Republican star, topple Manzullo in the Illinois primary.

He graduated from Normal Community West High School in 1996 and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Illinois State University in 2000.

In 1998, while a student at Illinois State, Kinzinger ran for election as a county board member in McLean County.

He won, defeating an incumbent, and at age 20 was one of the youngest county board members in McLean County history, Kinzinger remained on the board until resigning in 2003.

Kinzinger worked as an intern for former U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald shortly after his graduation from Illinois State, as part of a program offered there.

Kinzinger resigned from the McLean County Board in 2003 to join the United States Air Force.

He was commissioned a second lieutenant in November 2003 and later awarded his pilot wings.

Kinzinger was initially a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot and flew missions in South America, Guam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He later switched to flying the RC-26 surveillance aircraft and was stationed in Iraq twice.

Kinzinger has served in the Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, and Wisconsin Air National Guard and was progressively promoted to his current rank of lieutenant colonel.

Kinzinger met Republican U.S. Representatives Mike Pence, Mark Kirk, and Peter Roskam in January 2009 to discuss a possible run for Congress.

He started campaigning full-time in May 2009, when he returned home from his 3rd tour in Iraq.

He was endorsed by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Kinzinger was first elected to Congress in 2010 from the 11th district.

His district was largely merged with the 16th after the 2010 census, and Kinzinger transferred to the 16th after defeating its incumbent, Don Manzullo, in the Republican primary.

Kinzinger won the five-candidate Republican primary on February 2, 2010, with 64% of the vote.

He was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times in the general election.

Kinzinger defeated Halvorson 57–43% on November 2, 2010.

During his first term, Kinzinger represented a district that stretched from the outer southern suburbs of Chicago to Bloomington/Normal.

After redistricting, Kinzinger's district was eliminated.

He served as a United States representative from Illinois from 2011 to 2023.

A member of the Republican Party, Kinzinger originally represented IL's 11th congressional district and later IL's 16th congressional district.

He decided to run in Illinois's 11th congressional district, held by Democrat Debbie Halvorson.

Kinzinger was targeted by the Club for Growth in 2014.

In the Republican primary, he faced David Hale, a nurse and founder of the Rockford Tea Party.

Kinzinger won with 78% of the vote.

In the general election, Kinzinger defeated Democratic nominee Randall Olsen with 71% of the vote.

As part of his continued service with the Air National Guard, Kinzinger was deployed to the Mexico–United States border in February 2019 as part of efforts to maintain border security.

After President Donald Trump was defeated in the 2020 presidential election, Kinzinger became known for his vocal opposition to Trump's claims of voter fraud and attempts to overturn the results.

Kinzinger was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment.

He also voted to create the select committee to investigate the 2021 United States Capitol attack, to which he was subsequently appointed.

Kinzinger did not seek reelection to Congress in 2022.

After leaving office, Kinzinger joined CNN as a senior political commentator.