Image courtesy of Congress.gov

Adam Kinzinger was a rising star in the Republican Party. Until he chose ideals over party.

The former U.S. Representative from Northern Illinois will explain why during the Thomas J. Ewing Lecture at 7:00 p.m. Sept. 30 at Millikin. The public is invited to attend.

With America’s extreme political divide, Kinzinger has become a controversial talking point due to his support for democratic candidate Kamala Harris. 

“I think Adam Kinzinger presents a unique perspective that may be less politically divisive than others,” Millikin Provost Mary Black said. “There is certainly a possibility that there will be protest and debate around this speaker, but I think this is an important time for protest and debate and for voters to engage in the civil and civic conversation around politics in our country and in Illinois.”

Kinzinger fits well with the Ewing Lecture.

Ewing is a 1957 Millikin graduate who retired in 2001 after serving nine years in the U.S. House of Representatives from the 15th District of Illinois. These lectures focus on public policy and service. 

 “The Ewing Lectureship was created by Millikin and former congressman Ewing’s colleagues in recognition of his years of service,” Black said.

Kinzinger is originally from Kankakee, went to high school in Normal, and graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in political science. Then in 2003, Kinzinger joined the Air Force and ended up serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan. 

From 2011 to 2023, Kinzinger served six terms in the United States House of Representatives. In many bills he voted on, he voted with the Republicans.

Notably, he voted no on the Mental Health Matters Act, a bill that requires certain federal actions to increase access to mental and behavioral health care; the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, a bill that establishes a federal grant program and related entities to support violence intervention initiatives; and the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, a bill that makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon or large capacity ammunition feeding device. Like Kinzinger, a majority of Republicans voted no to these bills as well.

In 2021, after the insurrection at the capitol, Kinzinger became one of the ten Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump during the second impeachment trial. He was also one of two Republicans who served on the House select committee that investigated the January 6th attack on the Capitol. 

Because of this, Kinzinger has been shunned by the Republican party and has famously said he is politically “homeless.” 

Kinzinger endorsed Harris and even spoke at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) denouncing former President Donald Trump. 

“The Republican Party is no longer conservative,” Kinzinger said in his speech at the DNC. “It has switched its allegiance from the principles that gave it purpose to a man whose only purpose is himself.

 “Donald Trump is a weak man pretending to be strong. He is a small man pretending to be big. He’s a faithless man pretending to be righteous. He’s a perpetrator who can’t stop playing the victim.”

Athena Pajer, the Director for Student Engagement and Leadership Development at Millikin University, is excited about Kinzinger’s appearance.

“[Kinzinger] did something rare, which is stand up as an opposition of his own party, regardless of the consequences, and speaking out on what he thought was right,” Pajer said. “I think that is incredibly admirable and relatable, and something that students are really trying to see when looking at politicians right now.”

Kinzinger speaking at Millikin is bound to spark interesting conversations between students on campus.

“He’s controversial with conservatives, and he is well-liked and listened to on the liberal side, and listening and having controversy is something that is needed for good conversations to happen,” Pajer said.

Although harboring these good, and sometimes hard, political conversations is encouraged on campus, there are still concerns about possible protests surrounding Kinzinger’s visit to campus. 

“[Millikin University Public Safety] has discussed security concerns with the organizers, outside resources, and our own professional networks,” Director of Public Safety Chris Ballard said. “While we will assign a security detail to this event we anticipate no significant security concerns. We will continue to work closely with Student Affairs and the sponsoring organizations to ensure a safe event.”

America continues to become more divided when it comes to politics, especially with this upcoming presidential election. But Millikin is a college that accepts people of many backgrounds. And it is clear that there are conservative and liberal voices on campus, but it is time to try to find a middle ground.

“What we don’t want to do is dig the trenches further, but find a way for students to start thinking and talking about policies,” Pajer said. “I think that that’s a big call in this election, just because it would be incredibly valuable to learn what conservative policies do work and what don’t, what democratic policies do work and what don’t because we can’t both be 100 percent right.” 

“Perfection is unattainable, but figuring it out together is quite literally what Millikin is all about.”