Campaign

Kinzinger backs Democrats in contested statewide races

by Caroline Vakil - 10/11/22 9:35 AM ET

Greg Nash
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) is seen during a House Jan. 6 committee hearing on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 focusing on the ties between former President Trump and far-right extremist groups.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s (R-Ill.) leadership PAC Country First announced on Tuesday that it is supporting a slew of candidates in statewide races, including Democrats in several contested elections.

Among the Democrats endorsed are Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro, Arizona gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs and Arizona Secretary of State candidate Adrian Fontes. The leadership PAC is also endorsing Secretary of State candidates Cisco Aguilar in Nevada, Jocelyn Benson in Michigan and Steve Simon in Minnesota.

The group is also endorsing several Republican and independent candidates, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Utah Senate hopeful Evan McMullin (I), among others.

“Now more than ever, it’s critical we elect leaders up and down the ballot who are loyal to the Constitution and willing to be a bulwark for democracy — regardless of their political party affiliation,” Kinzinger said in a statement.

“We must set partisan politics and ideology aside in order to preserve our nation’s democracy and demand accountability in our leaders. I’m proud to endorse this slate of candidates that are ready to put our country and the American people first.”

GOP candidates for governor, secretary of state and other positions in states like Arizona, Nevada and Michigan have come under intense scrutiny for their views on the 2020 election, with many either questioning the results or backing baseless claims made by former President Trump that the last election was stolen or rigged.

Kinzinger, a vocal critic of Trump, is not the only Republican who has come out this election in support of Democratic candidates. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), another high-profile Trump critic, said earlier this month that if she lived in Arizona she would “absolutely” vote for several Democratic candidates, including for Hobbs and Fontes.

She also said last month that she would be open to stumping for Democratic candidates ahead of November.