28 Comments - Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:05 pm: There are so many examples of people running in districts where the residency is outside the district it seems a goofy point to make. Even among political junkies, how many of us know the boundaries well enough that we can drive around and say, I’m passing from District X to District Y? If you can’t tell when you’re leaving your own district, why would it be a big deal if someone lives in the district or slightly outside it? It’s just a partisan attack that is used opportunistically. Unfortunately too many of the voters are dumb enough to worry about it instead of some other issue which might actually matter. - Realist - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:06 pm: Kinzinger actually did move into the new 16th a couple weeks ago. - Curious - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:08 pm: I surprise myself by agreeing with these folks. From their vantage point, they could have Manzullo and Kinzinger if he had “sucked it up” and ran in the 2nd CD. Instead, they can paint him as looking out for his political future more than the people, issue, etc. It would have been a really tough win in the 2nd for Kinzinger, but “if he really cared about the issues he would have fought for them” is what they can argue. I don’t think he could win in the 2nd…not at all…but I think it is fair game - And I Approved This Message - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:14 pm: I saw a poll yesterday that said Congress’ approval rating is at 10%. Where he does or doesn’t live seems to be the least of his worries. - Kinzinger is Solid - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:16 pm: If you live in Illinois, you’ll do the math. The 11th (Kinzinger’s current district) has been carved up and the 16th has a large portion of the people he has been serving. I read a Congressman Manzullo’s quote explaining that ‘his district has consistently led the nation in unemployment’ and was left asking - then why are you running? Manzullo is a good person but the 16th need fresh leadership. Congressman Kinzinger will serve it well and has my support. - Jean Luc Picard - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:24 pm: Who exactly is this Illinois Conservative group and their leadership except some vague reference to “President Oltmann” posted by “zach”. There is no disclaimer on the donation page. And they do not appear to be registered with either the State Board or Federal Election Commission. So I guess I don’t care what they think about residency issues because they have no credibility. - Lil' Enchilada - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:30 pm: Bobby Schilling of the 17th doesn’t live in his district. No one seems to think it’s an issue. It burned me up though. I guess you can run anywhere you want and political boundaries mean nothing. - Don't Worry, Be Happy - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:30 pm: For better or for worse, the law does not require congressmen to live in their district, ever. If people think this is an issue, then the law should be changed. When Blago first ran for congress in 1996, he lived outside the district, and made a big show of renting an apartment in the district and talking about how he moved in. Then after he was elected, he gave up the apartment. His family never moved, and he ran for reelection from the original address - he lived outside the district the entire time he was in congress. As far as I can tell nobody ever complained (maybe they should have). I realize Blago may not be a good comparison, but it does show how the law works on this. - J - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:32 pm: I think it is fair game. Any time you make a decision in politics you are accountable for it. Your opponent might characterize it in a slanted or unfair manner, but by making the decision you opened yourself up to it. If you don’t want to be attacked for something don’t do it in the first place. - reformer - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 1:53 pm: Republicans used the residency issue against Melissa Bean in every election. She never did move into district. If it’s sauce for the goose, it’s sauce for the gander. Walsh can expect the carpetbagger label. - Jeff Wartman - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 2:06 pm: Realist — Kinzinger doesn’t have much of a residence at all in Illinois. He maintained a small apartment in Manteno that was virtually non-lived in. Rich – Are the Illinois Conservatives serious when they say they don’t know why Kinzinger isn’t running in the 2nd? Perhaps it’s because the district is unwinnable by a Republican. - Just Observing - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 2:25 pm: It’s completely disingenuous to say it’s ok for Walsh to be running outside his home district since he’s going after the “Chicago Machine” (whatever that means), but its wrong for Kinzinger. Their rationale is complete nonsense. - Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 2:29 pm: Perhaps it’s because the district is unwinnable by a Republican. But maybe by a lady who will be trying to win all the Republican votes she can, LOL. - JoeZ - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 2:54 pm: This “IL Conservative” online group is a joke. What about when Joe Walsh ran against Republicans in his current district that he did not live in? The Dems dealt this bad hand to the Republican members and, frankly, they’ve played it as well as could be expected. It doesn’t do the Party much good to have a guy of Kinzinger’s caliber mount a political suicide mission by running against JJJr. - Long Time Lurker - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 3:07 pm: As long as the crazy gerrymandering of districts is allowed in Illinois, I view running in a district where you don’t live as a viable response. - Jeff Wartman - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 3:13 pm: I got a pretty frantic Facebook message from either Adam or someone pretending to be him. Either way, it’s clear that they’re a bit scared to lose. - Team Sleep - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 3:32 pm: I don’t get all of the new love for Manzullo. He’s been around a long time, has a surly attitude and, even though he’s the dean of the ILGOP Congressional delegation, he’s not even the most respected ILGOP Congressperson (that would be either Shimkus or Roskam). So what is with all these conservative and TEA Party groups who can’t stop singing Manzullo’s praises? It sounds to me like this group is just looking for a way to take another potshot at Mr. Kinzinger. - mark walker - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 4:23 pm: Don’t care where you live — just spend a lot of time in the district with your constituents. My beef is with Washingtonian Congressfolks, who maintain de facto residence in Illinois, but are rarely here except for fundraisers. - wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 5:38 pm: To run for Congress in Illinois, you just have to live in Illinois. Is someone going against the Constutition? - Bill F - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 5:42 pm: Look when they poll these things - people don’t care. Heck, Kinzinger was living in Bloomington thinking of running against Tim Johnson. Then he moved to Morris to run against Halvorson. Now he’s taking on Manzullo. Heck, if Manzullo wins, Kinzinger may just keep heading north on I 39. Wisconsin Congressmen look out! - ebgill - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 6:32 pm: If this means so much to people, why don’t they lobby the legislature to change the law. Now, you just have to live in the state. - Michael S - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 6:56 pm: Adam Kinzinger is not the Tea Party Conservative but he wants you to believe he is. @Team Sleep - when you compare and contrast the two in their votes from 2011 to today, Don Manzullo is simply more conservative and votes more in line with what we expect from tea party congressmen and women. What I find really funny is people complaining about 2,700 people who used social media to start communicating a message. The old establishment doesn’t like the new kids on the block. Kinzinger should have ran in the 2nd much like Walsh is running in the 8th. We wrote about all of this at http://www.kinzingerreport.com Michael S - Susie G - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 7:18 pm: Kinzinger has been a major disappointment in McLean County (where he is from). We had high hopes that he would be a conservative and not play the GOP games. He failed miserably. - Commonsense in Illinois - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 7:22 pm: Just for fun I re-read Article 2 of the US Constitution. Interestingly enough, not only is a member of Congress not required to live within the distrct from which he/she is elected, but he/she is only required to inhabit the state from which they are elected…neither citizenship nor voter registration is required. But then again this is Illinois Conservatives complaining about the audacity of someone running for office who hasn not partaken of their particular brand of Kool-ais, so God only knows… - Sentinel - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 10:38 pm: Kinzinger now lives in both the old 11th District which he currently represents and also lives in the new 16th District. The biggest portion of people he represented were put in the 16th District. Manzullo doesn’t even have half of his current district in the new one. Manzullo also moved his family to Virginia several years ago. Talk about not lived in, check out the place he claims is his home in IL. Only the wackos who care about who is more conservative will vote Manzullo, even though he broke his own term limit pledge, voted for Obama’s cash for clunkers and was a big earmarker every year before they were banned. Kinzinger is plenty conservative but more important is that he is more effective and more in tune with our needs now and in the future. This ain’t 1992 anymore. Time for Don Manzullo return to Illinois–he’s had more than his chance. - Cheryl44 - Thursday, Feb 9, 12 @ 10:39 pm: Blago buy his current house after serving in Congress? Because it is in the district he represented. - Sick of It All - Friday, Feb 10, 12 @ 2:49 am: Neither of them are acceptable. The Dems really shrewed up a lot more than just Republican candidates when they sliced districts up. Manzullo is not the brightest bulb, especially in science. He is a Religious Right type…ick. - Michael S - Friday, Feb 10, 12 @ 11:50 am: Sentenial refuses to do any research and instead just sling mud. The reason people are not supporting Congressman Kinzinger is because his voting record is not conservative. You are again invited to research his voting record like we have and decide for yourself. Kinzinger voted against defunding the NLRB, Manzullo voted for defunding the NLRB. This is all linked through govtrack.us: http://kinzingerreport.com/2012/02/10/kinzinger-flip-flops-votes-with-democrats-to-continue-funding-nlrb/ You cannot make this stuff up. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.