Kinzinger seeks to challenge Halvorson

Barry Welbers (at podium), Bureau County Republican party chairman, gives his endorsement to Adam Kinzinger (center) during a press conference Monday afternoon at the Prouty Building in Princeton. (BCR photo/Barb Kromphardt)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

PRINCETON — A member of the Air National Guard is hoping to be the Republicans’ choice to face Rep. Debbie Halvorson in the November election. Adam Kinzinger of Manteno will face Henry Meers Jr., David McAloon and Darrel Miller in the Feb. 2 primary election.

Kinzinger, 31, said he’s always been interested in politics.

“I always had that weird passion for politics,” he said. “I’ve always had it and the passion to do the right thing.”

When Kinzinger was 20, he decided to challenge an incumbent for his seat on the McLean County Board. He won and served on the board for five years.

If elected to Congress, Kinzinger’s priorities would be jobs, the economy and spending.

“When you talk about spending and the economy, a lot of that can be solved simply by putting people back to work,” he said. “We’ve created a regulatory environment in Illinois that is not favorable to business.”

In addition to his priorities, Kinzinger feels voters should choose him because of his experience.

“I’m the only one who’s ever held elected office that had a competitive election,” he said. “That electability is an important thing.”

Kinzinger said he also has the ability to take the conservative message to people and to attract voters who have not been choosing Republican candidates.

There’s another difference between Kinzinger and his opponents.

“I’ve run a very positive campaign and haven’t personally attacked my opponents,” he said. “I can’t say that’s been the case on both sides.”

Kinzinger has been criticized for not attending some candidate forums, including one in Princeton because of not wanting to be videotaped. Kinzinger said the truth is he backed out of a forum in Kankakee when the rules were changed 30 minutes before the forum was to start to change the moderator to an opponent’s supporter, lengthen the forum, and to allow the video cameras.

Kinzinger also objected to the moderator of the Princeton forum.

“Chris Arndt is a known McAloon supporter,” he said.

Kinzinger also commented on his early endorsement from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

“There is a grassroots energy that is blowing up in this race in our favor, and the National Republican Congressional Committee has seen this and said, ‘We want to be part of that,’” he said. “The other three candidates have failed to have their campaigns take fire.”

Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.