Kinzinger backs Democrats in key midterm races

Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who is retiring this cycle after voting to impeach former President Donald Trump, is endorsing a slate of high-profile Democrats (and a few Republicans) in key midterm races.

The congressman threw his support behind Democratic gubernatorial nominees Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania and Katie Hobbs in Arizona; Democratic secretary of state nominees Adrian Fontes in Arizona, Steve Simon in Minnesota, Jocelyn Benson in Michigan and Cisco Aguilar in Nevada; and Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Kinzinger is also backing Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski and independent Senate candidate Evan McMullin in Utah, House Republican hopeful Larry Lazor in Connecticut and a state House candidate in Minnesota.

Oct. 11, 202205:14

Shapiro, Hobbs, Fontes, Benson and Murkowski are all running against Republican nominees backed by the former president and who have all at least questioned the legitimacy of President Joe Biden’s election.

While not backed by Trump, Nevada Republican secretary of state nominee Jim Marchant and Minnesota Republican secretary of state nominee Kim Crockett have also cast doubt on the 2020 election.

“The most important thing that we can deal with in November, that we can actually vote on, is: Do you actually believe in democracy?” Kinzinger said while announcing his endorsements on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“You have so many people out there that are convincing half of the country, or trying to convince half the country, that the election system doesn’t work, that their vote was stolen. Democracies and self-governance cannot survive when they live in a bed of lies.”

Raffensperger drew Trump’s ire for certifying the 2020 election, but defeated a GOP primary challenger backed by the former president and now faces a well-funded Democratic challenger.

And McMullin is running against Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, who reports show texted with the group of White House aides and lawyers who were looking into strategies to overturn the election. While Lee subsequently voted to certify the 2020 election, opponents have used those texts to argue he lent a hand to those who sought to discredit the election.