Your Views

At the outset of the Tea Party movement, I was optimistic about Mr. Kinzinger. I believed he had a lot of promise. Interestingly, 11 years later, I saw his name come up and didn't recognize it. As an avid follower of political news, I can't think of one noteworthy accomplishment or news story associated with him.

However, in the past six months, he found fame lobbing insults at Trump and Trump voters, which make up 87% of his votes. Though he raises a lot of money from corporations, his grass-roots support has plummeted. He has received multiple censures from his localities, and he repugnantly responds, "thanks for playing." His district criticizes him for never being around, and he openly expresses that he couldn't care less.

The Illinois 16th Congressional District is one of the most powerful GOP positions in Illinois, and it should be filled by someone who is aligned with and cares about voters. Recently, I have met Catalina Lauf, the front-runner for his seat.

In our conversations, I found her to be a very dynamic person who is genuinely interested in the voters.

She spent all her time carefully listening to each person and asked a lot of thoughtful questions. She has deep knowledge of the issues, and her passion for helping our country and representing her voting constituents clearly stands out.

And I really think she has natural capabilities that far exceed Rep. Kinzinger in making a real impact.

Catalina presents a big swing to the positive for the Illinois 16th. I think a valuable gift has dropped on the Illinois GOP's lap, and I hope the state party recognizes it. I'm very excited to see her star rise, and it couldn't come at a better time.

Justin Kaechele

Grayslake