Gordon Kinzler

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Gordon Kinzler

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 17, 2020

Contact

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Gordon Kinzler (Republican Party) (also known as Jay) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 6th Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on March 17, 2020.

Kinzler (Republican) was a candidate who sought election to the Illinois House of Representatives to represent District 46. Kinzler lost the general election on November 6, 2018, after advancing from the primary on March 20, 2018.

Kinzler was a 2016 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 6th Congressional District of Illinois. Kinzler was defeated by incumbent Peter Roskam in the Republican primary on March 15, 2016.

Elections

2020

See also: Illinois' 6th Congressional District election, 2020

Illinois' 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 17 Republican primary)

Illinois' 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 17 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 6

Incumbent Sean Casten defeated Jeanne M. Ives and Bill Redpath in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 6 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Casten (D)	52.8	213,777
		Jeanne M. Ives (R)	45.4	183,891
		Bill Redpath (L)	1.7	7,079

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 404,747
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 6

Incumbent Sean Casten advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 6 on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Casten	100.0	82,909

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 82,909
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Robert Marshall (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 6

Jeanne M. Ives defeated Gordon Kinzler and Richard Mayers in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 6 on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeanne M. Ives	70.8	29,144
		Gordon Kinzler	29.2	12,017
	Submit photo	Richard Mayers (Write-in)	0.0	1

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 41,162
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Evelyn Sanguinetti (R)

Candidate profile

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Gordon Kinzler

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: Glen Ellyn Park District Board (2009-2017)

Biography:  Kinzler, a transplant surgeon, graduated from Loyola University of Chicago in 1980 and Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine in 1984. In 2007, Kinzler joined the U.S. Army Reserve and became a colonel. He ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House in Illinois' 6th District in 2016.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Kinzler discussed his professional background as a transplant surgeon and U.S. Army Reserves colonel, saying "as a physician, I've learned compassion and sensibility. I joined the military out of a deep sense of duty and resolve."

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Kinzler said he entered the race because he was concerned about a socialist agenda negatively impacting the country. He said, "Socialism has resulted in failure, destruction and widespread death of those who embrace it."

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Kinzler said he was not a career politician, but rather a citizen volunteer. He said that, in Congress, he would be a unifier, not a divider.

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Kinzler spoke in support of "free markets, less government, fewer regulations, lower taxes, a balanced budget, a strong military, and securing our borders." He said he would address corruption, quality healthcare, and keeping families safe if elected.

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Show sources

Sources: YouTube, "Vote Dr. Gordon "Jay" Kinzler March 17," released March 9, 2020, Kinzler 2020 campaign site, "Issues," accessed March 13, 2020, YouTube, "Candidate Forum: Republican Candidates for Illinois 6th Congressional District // LWV of Glen Ellyn," February 13, 2020; Kinzler 2020 campaign site, "Meet Jay," accessed March 13, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Illinois District 6 in 2020.

2018

See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 46

Incumbent Deborah Conroy defeated Gordon Kinzler in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 46 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deborah Conroy (D)	58.7	18,679
		Gordon Kinzler (R)	41.3	13,155

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,834 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 46

Incumbent Deborah Conroy advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 46 on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deborah Conroy	100.0	6,269

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 6,269
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 46

Gordon Kinzler defeated Roger Orozco in the Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 46 on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gordon Kinzler	79.4	3,783
	Submit photo	Roger Orozco	20.6	979

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 4,762
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Illinois' 6th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Peter Roskam (R) defeated Amanda Howland (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Roskam defeated Gordon Kinzler in the Republican primary on March 15, 2016, while Howland defeated Robert Marshall to win the Democratic nomination.

U.S. House, Illinois District 6 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Peter Roskam Incumbent	59.2%	208,555
	Democratic	Amanda Howland	40.8%	143,591
Total Votes				352,146
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

U.S. House, Illinois District 6 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Amanda Howland	67.1%	51,101
Robert Marshall	32.9%	25,027
Total Votes		76,128
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

U.S. House, Illinois District 6 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Peter Roskam Incumbent	68.8%	83,344
Gordon Kinzler	31.2%	37,834
Total Votes		121,178
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Gordon Kinzler did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Kinzler's campaign website stated the following:

“	What Jay Stands For And What He Wants To Achieve Accountability Getting the job done in more efficient ways is the reason to elect a new, energetic individual such as Gordon “Jay” Kinzler. No position should be taken for granted, and in the case of career politicians, it becomes evident that current incumbents need to be challenged in order for progress to be made. Illinois corruption needs to be investigated and prosecuted at the federal level as the Madigan-Democrat one party rule in Illinois has resulted in no state level oversight. The only solution to reduce Illinois corruption is getting help from above at the federal level. Fiscal Responsibility Jay Kinzler is a strong proponent of fiscal responsibility. Balanced budgets, limits on spending, smart use of funds, analysis and accountability are key issues. Through experience of running his own medical practice, and serving in several local government and association posts, Kinzler has been able to set an example by maintaining high quality service while balancing budgets. Humane Healthcare As a medical doctor and surgeon, Dr. Jay Kinzler has an authentic understanding of the healthcare system in the United States. Through first-hand experience, he believes that doctors should have an active role in determining the future of healthcare. Doctors should be able to advocate for their patients in regards to the medical care they receive. There needs to be more choice, personalized care and less bureaucracy. Current politicians are constantly promising healthcare to constituents but, they have never taken care of a patient in their life. Healthcare should be high quality and affordable. Dr. Jay Kinzler will improve constituents’ healthcare just like he has improved the health of his patients. Military Services Jay Kinzler is a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and serves at Fort Benning. Kinzler believes in a strong military to protect our citizens and keep them safe both here and abroad. Kinzler is an advocate for veteran programs that provide services for returning vets. He firmly believes we are obligated to make sure veterans are provided with services in return for the heroic defense of the United States of America. Jay On Key Policy Issues Values I believe in strong family values. I believe in fair treatment of all Americans without discrimination as to race, age, religion, sex, national origin, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. As a committed Christian, my faith has played an important role in who I am and the life that I lead. Judeo-Christian values are an integral part of America’s founding. However, I believe in freedom to practice all religions. There is much more we have in common than what sets apart. I believe in hard work. I believe all Americans have the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. All Americans deserve to be safe. Immigration Since its founding, immigration has been a gift to America. However, there is a real and immediate need to enforce laws regulating foreign nationals entering our nation. This begins with securing our borders and deporting aliens who are felons. Jobs, Economy and Budget Our President has fostered a robust economy by lowering taxes and reducing regulations. The unemployment rate has plummeted. The current legislature is controlled by Democrat -Socialists who are more concerned with endless trumped up investigations rather than strengthening our economy and doing the peoples’ work. They need to be replaced in the next election. Our over-grown government needs to be reduced as it has become the biggest enemy of job creators. We need a balanced budget, reduced spending, and fight government corruption. Education Education decisions should be made locally between parents, teachers, and students. A child’s education should never be a cookie-cutter proposition dictated by a distant federal bureaucrat. Environment Our nation has been gifted with incredible endowment of natural resources. Americans need to utilize these resources in a responsible manner, and have a moral obligation to preserve them for future generations. We need to always protect our environment and keep it healthy. Our environment needs to always maintain clean air, water and land. It needs to be healthy and safe. We should strive to maximize clean energy. We need to stop litter and keep our communities clean for current and future generations to enjoy. Sanctity of Life I am pro-life. 2nd Amendment I own firearms not just for recreational purposes, but to protect my family against criminals and government tyranny. The right for Americans to keep and bear arms must not be infringed. Trade Our world has been significantly improved by increased levels of trade and capitalism especially during the last century. Socialism has resulted in failure, destruction and widespread death of those who embrace it. America must encourage trade, and confront those who sabotage its free practice. Healthcare As a physician, I know first-hand the troubled state of our nation’s healthcare system. Obamacare has been a complete failure, and has only grown the problems we had already. We must get government off the back of the healthcare community, and allow the free interaction of doctors and patients to facilitate the best system the world has ever known. Civil Rights All people are endowed by God with natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.	”
—Jay Kinzler's campaign website (2020)

2016

The following issues were listed on Kinzler's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Accountability: Getting the job done in more efficient ways is the reason to elect a new, energetic individual such as Gordon “Jay” Kinzler. No position should be taken for granted and in the case of career politicians, it becomes evident that current congressional incumbents need to be challenged in order for progess to be made. Fiscal Responsibility: Jay is a strong proponent of fiscal responsibility. Balanced budgets, limits on spending, smart use of funds, analysis and accountability are key issues. Through experience of running his own practice and serving in several local government and association posts, Jay has been able to set an example by maintaining high quality service while balancing budgets. Humane Healthcare: As a medical doctor and surgeon, Jay has an authentic understanding of the healthcare system in the United States. Through first-hand experience, he believes that doctors should have an active role in determining the future of healthcare. Doctors should be able to advocate for their patients in regards to medical care they receive. There needs to be more choice, personalized care and less bureaucracy. Military: Jay believes there is no wiser investment than into our own US Military. Jay himself is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and has seen areas of the military that need attention. Kinzler is also an advocate for veteran programs that provide services for returning vets. He firmly believes we are obligated to make sure veterans are provided with services in return for heroic defense of the United States of America.	”
—Gordon Kinzler's campaign website, http://kinzlerforcongress.com/issues/

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Gordon Kinzler campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2020	U.S. House Illinois District 6	Lost primary	$176,484	$176,484
2018	Illinois House of Representatives District 46	Lost general	$134,081	N/A**
Grand total			$310,565	$176,484
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

2020 Elections

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External links

Suggest a link

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Footnotes

[show]

Illinois' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tammy Duckworth (D)

Dick Durbin (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jonathan Jackson (D)

District 2

Robin Kelly (D)

District 3

Delia Ramirez (D)

District 4

Jesus Garcia (D)

District 5

Mike Quigley (D)

District 6

Sean Casten (D)

District 7

Danny Davis (D)

District 8

Raja Krishnamoorthi (D)

District 9

Jan Schakowsky (D)

District 10

Brad Schneider (D)

District 11

Bill Foster (D)

District 12

Mike Bost (R)

District 13

Nikki Budzinski (D)

District 14

Lauren Underwood (D)

District 15

Mary Miller (R)

District 16

Darin LaHood (R)

District 17

Eric Sorensen (D)

Democratic Party (16)

Republican Party (3)