Former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger visited Dallas on Tuesday to stress the significance of local elections, urging North Texans to partake in what he termed a “battle for democracy.”
Kinzinger, who previously represented Illinois in Congress and now resides in Texas, made his remarks during a panel that celebrated the victories of North Texas candidates in school board and city positions. These candidates successfully defeated right-leaning opponents in the May election and subsequent June runoff.
As one of the 10 Republicans who voted for the second impeachment of President Donald Trump, Kinzinger has been an outspoken critic of the former president. He also served on the House committee that investigated the January 6 Capitol riots.
In an interview with The Dallas Morning News before the event held at Northaven United Methodist Church, Kinzinger emphasized the importance of civic engagement, particularly in terms of voting.
The 47-year-old congressman stated that he has no plans to run for office in Texas at this time but did not completely dismiss the idea of a presidential run. “I’m not ruling that out,” Kinzinger said. “It’s not from a deep desire to do it, it’s not an ego-thing, but I think it’s important that we have someone who can really bring the country together.”
Having been elected in 2010 to represent his suburban Chicago district, Kinzinger chose not to seek a seventh term after facing significant backlash from Trump and his supporters, as well as a Democratic-led redistricting that diminished his re-election prospects.
Following his involvement in the January 6 House panel, Trump suggested calling for the arrest of Kinzinger and others who participated. In a recent interview with Forbes, Kinzinger expressed that he identifies more with Democrats now due to changes within the Republican Party.
Kinzinger has previously extended his support to former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred during the Dallas Democrat’s unsuccessful campaign for Ted Cruz’s Senate seat. He has also voiced his support at the Democratic convention nominating former Vice President Kamala Harris for the party’s presidential bid.
The event Kinzinger attended attracted over 400 participants, organized by a group of volunteers including Pat Hicks, a Democratic precinct chair in Dallas. Hicks shared his motivations for organizing the event, pointing to the recent successes of local candidates against GOP-backed contenders.
Richardson Mayor Amir Omar, who was one of the panelists, emphasized the need to focus on solutions rather than getting bogged down by national political divides. “The best way to get over the divide was to focus on the solutions,” Omar remarked.
Other panelists included Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD school board member John Biggan, Richardson ISD school board member Vanessa Pacheco, and Dallas City Council Member Adam Bazaldua, who moderated the discussion.
Laney Hawes, co-founder of Texas Freedom to Read Project, an organization opposing book bans, also joined the panel.
Kinzinger praised the group of elected officials on stage, encouraging the audience to feel optimistic about the growing coalition committed to “the fight to defend our democracy.”
He concluded with a powerful statement: “I refuse to be part of the generation that lets democracy die under our watch.”
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