ROCKFORD – The longer GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-16) is in office, the further he moves from conservatives in his home district.
At least that's what Rockford conservatives like Michael O'Toole think, and why O'Toole says he won't be voting for Kinzinger's re-election in 2018.
This spring, Congressman Kinzinger said at his Rockford town hall meeting that he fully supports the US Supreme Court majority ruling regarding same-sex marriages, O'Toole told Illinois Review.
"I was there with others and heard what he said. As such, I will be voting against him [next year] to try to get him out of Congress."
Kinzinger was quoted in 2015 saying that the next generation is overwhelmingly supportive of gay marriage … and while many believe in traditional marriage, he believes the Supreme Court's decision to be a "state decision."
"I’ve opposed federal bans on gay marriage. I believe that’s something that should be decided at the state level, but then again, look the Supreme Court has spoken…If we respect the Constitution of the United States we have to respect the role the Supreme Court played and they made a decision whether I agree with that decision or not it appears gay marriage is the law of the land and I think that’s something we’re going to have to get used to,” RedState.com reports Kinzinger said.
UPDATE: Monday afternoon, Kinzinger's office confirmed his previous comments: "The Congressman says it's the law and the issue was decided by the Supreme Court, and it's unlikely that it will get brought upon again before the courts," spokesperson Maura Gillespie said in an email.
O'Toole told Kinzinger when the 39-year-old challenged former Congressman Don Manzullo in 2012, that "whoever won was expected to not act with any hypocrisy in Congress."
Since that time, Kinzinger has disappointed O'Toole, he said. So much so, the conservative Republican skipped voting for Congress on the 2016 ballot because no Democrat challenged Kinzinger in the General Election.
President Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 17 points in the 16th CD. Those numbers tend to indicate the Democrats will focus their energies elsewhere. But there could be a GOP primary challenger, O'Toole said.
Despite O'Toole's dissatisfaction with Kinzinger's comment on same sex marriage, the FiveThirtyEight website shows that thus far, Kinzinger votes with President Trump's position on legislation 100% of the time.
