The announcement Friday morning by Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., that he would not seek reelection next year was almost anticlimactic.
Speculation is mounting as to whether he will seek another office now or in the future, and whether he will become a political commentator on a cable TV network such as CNN.
Kinzinger, now in his sixth term and best known as one of the 10 House Republicans to vote for Donald Trump's impeachment earlier this year, faced spirited challenges from three Trump-supporting opponents.
But with Democrats wielding the redistricting knife in Springfield, Kinzinger's 16th Congressional District was submerged into the new 27th District represented by the more conservative Republican Rep. Darin LaHood.
''Bye Bye Adam'' was the immediate reaction of Ottawa, Illinois, publisher and veteran conservative activist Jameson Campaigne, who has long been at odds with Kinzinger.
He added that LaHood's no vote on Trump's impeachment would have been enough to rally conservatives to his side in the event of a primary battle with Kinzinger.
In a five-minute address on his website, Kinzinger said: ''This isn't the end of my political future, but the beginning.'' He could run for governor, lieutenant governor or other statewide offices on the GOP primary ballot June 28.
Kinzinger, 43, could also wait for 2026 and run for the seat of Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin. But by then, several political pundits agree, he will have been out of the political game for five years — a long time for an ambitious office-seeker.
For now, it is widely agreed that the Prairie State lawmaker will be sought after by networks such as CNN for guest punditry and interviews. Republican former Reps. Mike Rogers of Michigan and Jason Chaffetz of Utah have done well in the cable news universe, and Kinzinger, his admirers insist, would do just as well.
Along with being a congressman, Kinzinger is an Air Force Reserve pilot who flew missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Before he was elected, he drew swatches of publicity for intervening as a woman was being assaulted by a former boyfriend who was wielding a knife. Kinzinger eventually subdued the assailant.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.