Four term U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia abruptly announced last week he would retire when his term ends in January 2027.
Garcia, 69, had filed to run for reelection in the 4th Congressional District on Nov. 3, but withdrew the petitions. Hours later, his chief of staff, Dr. Patty Garcia, submitted her own nominating petitions just before the Monday deadline.
The maneuver left Patty Garcia as the only Democratic candidate on the March Primary ballot—prompting accusations of old-school Chicago machine politics.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez later announced plans to run as an independent.
Portions of the 13th, 14th and 23rd Southwest Side wards are within the 4th District.
Garcia cited his wife’s health, ongoing health concerns of his own and the finalization of the adoption of a grandchild for his last-minute decision to retire.
Those factors were behind his idea to try to get his chief of staff Patty Garcia on the ballot, according to an interview with Capitol Fax News on Nov. 4.
“My decision was based on love for my family, for my community, and for, you know, not just someone who talks about family values and fights for families, but being about it. My wife has been with me every step of the way,” he said in the interview.
Garcia started his political career when he was elected alderman in the 22nd Ward in 1986. That was two years after he co-founded the 22nd Ward Independent Political Organization with political leader Rudy Lozano in 1984.
In 1992, Garcia moved to the Illinois Legislature with his election to the Illinois Senate. Garcia was the first Mexican-American to serve in that capacity.
After serving in the Senate, Garcia returned to organizing in the Little Village neighborhood and founded the Little Village Community Organizing Corporation (today’s Enlace Chicago). As Executive Director, Garcia advocated for more public schools on the Southwest Side, pro-bono legal representation for immigrants and criminal justice reform.
In 2010, he was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners. In 2018, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In Congress, Garcia served on the Financial Services Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Natural Resources Committee.
Ed Hershey, representing the Working Class Party, is also a candidate for the U.S. House seat in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District.
“We didn’t know, for example, that the independent candidate Hershey had circulated (petitions),” Garcia said to Capitol Fax News. “And you know, we think we had pretty good intelligence, and I didn’t expect a Republican to run as well. So, I was assuming someone would run, as they had in the past.”
Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22nd) downplayed the criticism regarding his decision to step down and advocated for Garcia’s right to make his own choice saying to Capitol Fax Illinois that his decision to pull out of the race was personal and difficult noting the representative’s long career supporting and promoting progressive values and now opens room for new voices.
“Let us honor his legacy, one rooted in courage, integrity and an unwavering commitment to community,” Rodriguez said. “His work has inspired generations of Latino and progressive leaders, and his impact will continue to shape our movement for years to come.”