Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia’s chief of staff launched her campaign on Wednesday to succeed her boss in Congress, a move that has sparked both hope and controversy given the Illinois Democrat’s last-minute decision to retire from the House.
Patty Garcia, who is not related to the congressman, kicked off her campaign to represent Illinois’ 4th District, where she was born and raised by her Mexican immigrant parents. The district in Chicago’s southwest side is heavily Hispanic and reliably blue.
“My mother crossed the border, undocumented and pregnant with me. And she arrived in Chicago wearing sandals in the middle of the winter because she didn’t know about the icy, cold Chicago,” she said, surrounded by labor leaders and downballot progressives.
“Today, families dressed like ours are facing a new kind of ICE, an assault on immigrants that threatens everything we’ve built,” she continued. “That’s why I’m running for Congress.”
The candidate began serving as Chuy Garcia’s district director in 2019, rising to become his chief of staff in 2023. With the congressman backing her campaign, Patty Garcia would likely be the first Mexican American woman to represent the Midwest in Congress.
“Patty is going to hit the ground running on day one — no training required,” the congressman said in a statement. “Patty knows the issues, knows the players in Washington, and has the talent and heart to deliver real results for working families.”
Erin Hooley via Associated Press
Chuy Garcia has been a familiar face in Chicago politics for about 40 years, serving as an alderman, Cook County commissioner, state senator and two-time candidate for mayor. The 69-year-old was raised in Little Village and has been representing his district in Congress since 2018, portraying himself as a progressive defender of immigrant and labor rights.
Garcia filed his petitions on Oct. 27 for reelection, but reversed that decision less than a month later when he announced his intention to retire after his current term. The congressman said his cardiologist has warned him to slow down for health reasons, and that his wife, who has multiple sclerosis, asked him not to run. He also cited their recent legal adoption of their 8-year-old grandson after their daughter Rosa, the boy’s mother, died in 2023.
Reasons aside, the congressman has faced backlash from some fellow Democrats for what they see as an election maneuver more akin to Chicago’s political machine. Chuy Garcia decided against running for reelection at the eleventh hour, leading Patty Garcia to file her own petitions right before the 5 p.m. candidate filing deadline on Nov. 3.
The problem is that the congressman didn’t publicly announce his retirement until after the deadline, preventing potential challengers from having enough time to gather the required 2,500 signatures to run against his chosen successor in the March 17 primary.
“It’s an open process. Any person who’s interested in running for office can apply, can circulate their petitions and submit an application. We followed the rules. We collected signatures, and we submitted an application,” Patty Garcia told reporters on Wednesday. “People can apply at any point. We didn’t stop anybody from applying.”
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Patty Garcia will still face challenges from Republican Lupe Castillo, as well as Ed Hershey of the Working Class Party. Democratic socialist Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez is also considering an independent bid, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) filed a privileged resolution on Wednesday publicly condemning the congressman’s actions as “beneath the dignity of his office and incompatible with the spirit of the Constitution.”
“Congressman Chuy Garcia’s stated reasons for retirement are honorable, but his decision to anoint an heir is fundamentally undemocratic. This is the kind of thing that makes folks tune out of electoral politics. And frankly, who’d blame them?” Perez said in a separate statement.
“If we fail to hold our colleagues accountable for this subversion of elections, we own the consequences,” she continued. “Americans bled and died to secure the right to elect their leaders. We can’t expect to be taken seriously in the fight for free and fair elections if we turn a blind eye to election denial on our side of the aisle.”
A spokesperson for Patty Garcia’s campaign did not immediately respond to JS’s request for comment on Perez’s resolution. The House will vote on it early next week.
Chuy Garcia made a “deeply personal decision” that followed the election rules of Illinois, his spokesperson said in a statement.
“At a moment like this, he hopes his colleagues, especially those who speak about family values, can show the same compassion and respect that any family would want during a health crisis,” it continued. “Congressman Garcia remains committed to finishing his term with dignity and continuing his lifelong fight for working families.”
