Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who's been one of the GOP's most vocal critics against former President Donald Trump and the party's embrace of his views, said Friday that he's leaving Congress.
Kinzinger said he won't seek re-election in 2022 after a new Illinois redistricting map put him into the same district as a more Trump-aligned Republican.
Kinzinger was one of only a few House Republicans who voted earlier this year to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack.
"Let me be clear, my passion for this country has only grown," Kinzinger said in a video posted on Twitter. "My desire to make a difference is bigger than it's ever been. My disappointment in the leaders who don't lead is huge.
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"The battlefield needs to be broader and the truth needs to reach the American people across the whole country."
Two weeks ago, Kinzinger complained about the redistricting map led by Illinois state Democrats who placed him in the same district as Rep. Darin LaHood.
"I have proudly served six terms in the U.S. House and it has been an honor to do so. Following the release of the new congressional maps for Illinois, my team and I will spend some time looking them over and reviewing all of the options, including those outside the House," Kinzinger said in a statement earlier this month.
Kinzinger, who is one of two Republicans on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, said more extreme elements have taken over politics and that dehumanizing others has become a path to survival.
"It has become increasingly obvious to me that as a country we must unplug from the mistruths we've been feed," he said.
Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio, announced last month that he also will not seek another term in the House.
