The LaSalle County Republican Party reports its central committee has voted, with 88% of members agreeing, to censure Cong. Adam Kinzinger. The party disapproves of him for not meeting with the central committee in the last six years and for voting to impeach Pres. Trump. Chairman Larry Smith says the party has received hundreds of messages via text, email, and telephone from LaSalle County and beyond about Kinzinger.
Censure is a strong statement of disapproval. It doesn’t remove Kinzinger from office or boot him out of the party. The message behind it says the party’s most ardent supporters won’t support him. That increases his vulnerability if someone runs against him in a primary or if he wants to use party resources in a campaign. The LaSalle County Republican Party Central Committee met Tuesday night. The Chicago Tribune reports the Illinois GOP could consider a censure motion against Kinzinger this Saturday.
Over the weekend, Kinzinger launched an initiative called Country 1st. He says he wants a movement of Republicans who will shift the party away from supporting Donald Trump for Trump’s sake and back to supporting its conservative principles.