In the cycle’s first incumbent-vs.-incumbent Republican primary caused by redistricting, freshman Rep. Adam Kinzinger has defeated longtime Rep. Don Manzullo, a victory for the new generation of House Republicans — and also for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), who endorsed Kinzinger.
With 85 percent of precincts reporting, Kinzinger had 56 percent of the vote, to 44 percent for Manzullo, according to the Associated Press.
Manzullo was first elected to the House in 1992, while Kinzinger was just elected in the 2010 Republican wave, defeating incumbent Rep. Debbie Halvorson. The Democratic-controlled redistricting process largely dismantled Kinzinger’s district — he was forced into the heavily Democratic district represented by Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.
Instead of waging an uphill battle against Jackson Jr., Kinzinger ran against Manzullo, painting him as an entrenched, earmarking spender, in a reshaped district that included parts of both their old territories. Manzullo’s old territory made up a greater share of the new district, theoretically giving him a leg up — thus making Kinzinger’s win even bigger.
